Hungarian Food - Chicken Soup, Ujhazi Style (Újházi Tyúkleves)

Chicken Soup – Ujhazi Style (Újházi Tyúkleves)

Ede Ujhazi (1844-1915) was a famous Hungarian dramatic and comic character actor and also an amateur cook. While visiting a small restaurant in Budapest, he was unhappy with the soup that he was served so he had the chef prepare it again according to his directions. Among other modifications, he insisted that it be made with a rooster and that some beef was added to enhance the strength of the soup. His revised soup soon became famous too and today it is the soup, which is served at many Hungarian Weddings and holidays.

More than likely, you will not be able to locate a rooster to make this soup, but do try to use a mature soup chicken. For beef flavor, you can use any meaty soup bones that you can find in your store. I like to use veal or beef shanks. Other ingredients include onions, carrots, celery, parsley root and a slice of gingerroot along with some fresh or frozen peas. A tomato, a small green pepper, some mushrooms and a few thin noodles complete this tasty soup.

To make this soup correctly, you must first make your own chicken stock. After you remove the meat and strain the stock, you can add some of the meat back into the soup, but I recommend serving it on a separate platter with some horseradish sauce for the beef.

Difficulty: Moderate

Preparation Time: 60 Minutes

Cooking Time: 2 Hours

Chicken Stock Ingredients:

3-4 Lb. Soup Chicken cut into serving size pieces

1-2 Lb. of Beef or Veal Shanks

2 Medium Onions peeled and quartered

2 Cloves of Garlic peeled and crushed

2 Carrots scraped and cut into one inch pieces

2 Celery Stalks trimmed and cut into one inch pieces

1 Parsley Root peeled and cut into half inch rounds

1 ½ Inch Slice of Fresh Ginger Root (optional)

12 Black Peppercorns

12 Whole Allspice

1 Pint of Water for every pound of meat

Chicken Stock Preparation:

1. Place all of the ingredients except the chicken in a large soup pot and simmer for about an hour. From time to time skim of any foam and scum with a slotted spoon.

1. Add the cut up chicken and continue simmering for another hour.
2. Remove the meat to a separate dish and strain out the remaining solid ingredients and discard them.

Added Chicken Soup Ingredients:

Two Roma Tomatoes peeled and coarsely chopped

1 Small Green Pepper seeded and coarsely chopped

4 Ounces of Small Mushrooms, sliced into ¼ inch pieces

4 Ounces of Frozen Green Peas

4 Oz. of Vermicelli or thin Soup Noodles

2 Scallions trimmed and cut into 1/8 inch rounds including the green parts

Chicken Soup Preparation:　

1. Bring the clear soup to a gentile boil and add all of the above ingredients.
2. Simmer gently for about ten minutes until the noodles are done
3. Serve with the meat on a separate plate, some fresh bread or rolls and some horseradish sauce.

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