Today’s National Day was not founded by the prolific publisher of that 1990’s series but by a fan group in 2002. Sure, you can celebrate by reading inspirational selections from that series, by I suggest you make Chicken Soup for the Tummy by following the recipe below I have developed over the years.

I like it because the flavor is intense (in part because of the fat rendered from the chicken skin). I do not include directions for making your own pasta (which adds terrific depth to the flavor) because you will already know if you make homemade pasta and if not it is just easy to buy and use store bought egg noodles.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped 1/4 in dice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 4 medium carrot, chopped
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 cups uncooked noodles, (or use 1/2 basic fresh pasta dough)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• parsley, for garnish
• FRESH HOMEMADE PASTA (optional)
• 1 3/4 cups AP flour
• 1/2 cup bench flour, approximate
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water, + as needed

METHOD:

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In 6 quart stock pot heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken in batches, skin side down to render fat. Cook until golden brown and skin crispy. Remove chicken from pan to bowl to cool.
2. Add onions to drippings and stir until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant. Add celery and carrots and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring well. Add broth and deglaze the pan. Add spices and stir well.
3. After removing and discarding skin, add chicken to pot making sure they are submerged in broth. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 30 minutes.
4. Transfer chicken to plate. Reduce heat to warm. Add noodles (one at a time if fresh pasta so they do not stick together). Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, after chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones (retain bones for future stock). Shred meat into bite sized pieces and return to stock pot. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, serve with parsley as garnish.
   SERVINGS: 8
   SOURCE: Walter Thinnes

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As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes