Cold, windy, rainy days call for chicken and noodles. The Hoshall family (my mom's side) cure for being sad, stuck inside and bored or just missing your family (when they are on vacation for over a month and you are lonely). I made them the other day because I was feeling all of the above. Just so you know, our family has them for birthday dinners and Christmas eve, too, so they are not just for when you are in a bad mood, but man, they do make you feel better.
This was the first time I ever made them.
Aside from helping unroll them when I was little.
I thought it was time.
Whole chickens were on sale, and since I had all the other ingredients, this meal only cost me $3.77! The recipe comes from my great great grandma and has no measurements or cooking times whatsoever. In fact, I am willing to bet the first step on her original recipe was "go kill a chicken" since she lived on a farm.
Step one - wash the chicken in cold water and get all the nasty stuff out of the chicken. You know what I'm talkin' about. Don't trim it or anything, fat and skin are good. Put it in a big pot and cover it with cold water, don't use too much water - just cover the chicken and add some salt and pepper. Put it on the stove and bring the sucker to a boil. Let it boil for a while, until it is done and you have yourself a nice broth.
Step two - While the chicken is enjoying it's time in the hot tub, make the noodles. This is my favorite part of the vague recipe, get some eggs and add some flour and salt until it is the right consistency. WHAT?!?!? I called my grandma. She said use an egg per person and told me she usually starts with 6 and goes from there. She told me since it was just me and Jeremy to use 4 eggs. So, I beat them and added probably about a teaspoon of salt and kept adding flour until it looked like dough. I used my kitchen aid + dough hook. I think my mom and grandma just mix it on the counter. I finished it up by kneading it a little on the counter with lots-o-flour.
Step three - Noodle making! Take that dough, cut it into small sections and roll out one section at a time. Keep flouring the dough, the counter, the rolling pin. This isn't one of those recipes where you worry about using too much flour. Flour is good, it will make your noodle sauce thicker. Mmmmm. Roll it into an oblong shape and roll it out THIN! You want noodles, not big dough blobs. When it was my desired thinness, I started at one end of my oblong and rolled it up length-wise. After all your sections are rolled, cut them into small 1/2" or so strips. You will now have dough pinwheels (and flour all over you)!
Now, take a clean towel and flour it. Unroll your pinwheels into long noodles and lay them on the towel to dry. Kids love doing this, make them help you. By the way, this was the part in the process that I finally thought to get my camera.
Step four - Let your noodles sit on the counter while your chicken cooks. Once the chicken cooks, take it out of the pot to cool and check your broth for seasonings. Salt and pepper the broth some more if you feel like it. Now, because I do not want thin broth, I actually removed 2 cups of it and then put my noodles in. I figured I would see how thick it got and add more if needed, but I didn't. Stir in the noodles and let them cook. Meanwhile, pick the chicken off the bones and pick off all the nasty fat and skin, good for broth - not so good in my noodles. Put the chicken in with your noodles. Use as much as you would like. I had a 5 lb. chicken for 2 people, so I saved a breast and made chicken salad sandwiches the next day.
If you want your dog to love you, throw her some of the dark meat (unless, unlike me that is your favorite). She will will be your new best friend.
Now, go back to the chicken bones and find the wishbone in there. Keep it, let it dry out and find someone to make a wish with you and pull it apart. This step is mandatory. Especially if you have kids. Let them make the wishes.
Now, the noodles are done when they are done. Depends on how many you made and how thick they are.Test them, if they are good, eat them. Season them again if need be.
Now, it is also mandatory that they be served with peas and butter, Pilsbury refrigerated breadsticks (I actually didn't have any so I made biscuits, probably what my great great grandmother used anyway, since I am not thinking the doughboy was around back then) and HOMEMADE applesauce.
Now eat them. Fast. Or I will.
FYI, when I reheated them for dinner the next night (wow my $3.77 went far!) I added back in my 2 cups of broth and they were the perfect consistency again ;)
So that's it, chicken and noodles.
My "soul food".
I love my Grandma.
