Chicken Soup for 800, or 'Bye Bye Birdies'

18 years ago

Source: A TASTE OF DOROT

(Bruce Lipton, Camp Ramah)

Ingredients:

1/4 ton of Kosher chicken

25 lbs of marrow bones

the shells from 180 eggs, refrigerated

any gizzards gleaned from the chicken, washed and drained

8 Spanish onions, pealed and halved

4 large carrots, ends clipped

3 heads of celery, ends clipped, stalks separated

4 lbs. parsnips, ends clipped

3 bunches of very large leeks, ends clipped and washed thoroughly

12 bunches of dill with stems, soaked and washed

12 bunches parsley with stems, soaked and washed

4 more bunches parsley and two bunches dill, stems removed, chopped fine for garnish.

35 lbs of fine noodles, cooked, cooled, drained and refrigerated

2 lbs of kosher salt

Wednesday:

Parboil chicken in two 40 gallon brazing pans (shallow), skim fat as it rises. Fish out chicken and refrigerate (reserve for other uses) Do this in batches. Strain stock into clean pots and let settle. skim and discard and fat that rises. Refrigerate stock.

Thursday:

Prep vegetables

Friday:

Remove stock from fridge and remove congealed fat. Heat stock. Throw in the marrow bones, gizzards, and egg shells. Wait for it to come to slow simmer. Skim scum periodically for soup to clarify (aka removing the "schmut." Remove with a strainer any shells floating to the top. Add vegetables and 2 lbs salt. Cook another hour and a half until vegetables are "dead," but retain shape (except the leeks which are really dead). This is touchy. If done right, the vegetables help clear the soup. If overcooked, they can recloud it. Add water occasionally to maintain level of 80 gallons. Remove vegetables with a long-handled strainer and discard. Do this while keeping at a simmer so all the vegetables don't sink out of reach. Filter soup through a fine mesh strainer into other pots. Be sure to remix the soup so all is the same.

This is an honest-to-G-d recipe made each week for Shabbot. Anyone smiling?

Bubbe

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Comments (13)

lindac
18 years ago
Not good!!,,,,where's the garlic????
loagiehoagie
18 years ago
8 onions and 4 carrots to 1/4 TON of chicken...hmmm. And I have never heard of egg shells....sounds weird to me. Kinda funny, but not exactly practical eh?

And yes, I would need about 100 head of garlic. Gotta have garlic in chicken soup.

Duane
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ruthanna_gw
18 years ago
I was thinking the same thing about the onions and garlic. Eight onions for 1/4 ton doesn't seem like enough.
pkramer60
18 years ago
I am not worried about the garlic, I am worried about the guest list! Yikes!
lakeguy35
18 years ago
Like peppi, I'm not worried about the garlic or the recipe in general. If I remember, Dorot is an organization that helps and supports the elderly people in NYC. I'm thinking I remember a pic of Bubbe with one of the lucky souls that benifits from their help and care.....

David
bubbeskitchen
Original Author
18 years ago
Just reread the recipe; no garlic...I was editor of the cookbook and I howled when I read the galleys and saw this. I gave my chicken soup recipe which calls for a 20 qt stock pot, then when I read this, it tickled me so.

I didn't rewrite the whole dang thing because I'd be typing forever. There was one printing of the cookbook with 800 or so copies. I wish there were more. It is an anthropological experience looking at so many recipes. Donors, elders, volunteers, and staff all contributed along with stories and origins of the recipes. A treasure to be sure.

David, you are a marvel to remember correctly. I am honored that you retained that. I have been involved with DOROT since 1989. I am the truly "lucky soul" to experience the marvel of this organization. (dorotusa.org)

The dim sum thread reminded me of this recipe.
jimster
18 years ago
I caught a typo. You left out the word "feet".

The first line of the recipe should read "1/4 ton of Kosher chicken feet".

Except for that, it looks pretty good. I'll make it tomorrow for dinner.
fenworth
18 years ago
LMAO Jim!!!
jimster
18 years ago
I made it and it was good. However, I have 79 1/2 gallons left over.

What now?

Jim
pkramer60
18 years ago
Jim, call everyone you know or have ever met or ever hope to meet! You will truly be a rich man then.
loagiehoagie
18 years ago
I made it too. The sight of me hauling 1/4 ton of chicken feet in my pickup was the talk of the neighborhood.

We don't have any leftovers. I invited my Aunt Janet Planet over for supper.

Duane
Carol Schmertzler Siegel
18 years ago
Camp Ramah, I know of it from a long, long time ago! Had friends that went there. If I had kept in touch, I'd have asked if the soup needed the garlic :)

Can you imagine the price of that soup with a 1/4 ton of Kosher chickens! No wonder sleep away camp is expensive :)

LOL, it reminds me of when I went away to camp and we'd sneak into the kitchen to get a midnight snack, and it was way before BJ's and Costco, and so the size of those food service cans just floored us. Huge cans of tuna, peaches, chocolate pudding. The size of the stock pots! Yep, Soup for 800! too funny, Bubbe :)
bubbeskitchen
Original Author
18 years ago
I'm still smiling!

Of course when I said that I helped to edit the cookbook, I didn't exactly vet the recipes. It was printed verbatim and Bruce, the contributer, wrote very funny text.

I do think the ratio of veggies to chicken seem scant. Perhaps it should have been pounds of onions and carrots.

Can you imaging carrying or washing the pots?

Here is my baby 20 qt pot:

Bubbe

Chicken Soup for 800, or 'Bye Bye Birdies'

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lindac

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Chicken Soup for 800, or 'Bye Bye Birdies'

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