Hearty Chicken Chowder
Submitted by savory
Old-fashioned chicken chowder starting with a leftover carcass simmered into broth, then thickened with egg yolks and scalded milk and finished with sherry. Thrifty and hearty in every bowl.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsChowder built on leftover bones. Simmer the chicken carcass with bouquet garni and garlic, skim the fat, and you’ve got broth that store-bought cans can’t touch. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion, then thicken with a traditional egg-yolk-and-scalded-milk liaison for a silky body without any cream or roux.
A splash of dry sherry stirred in at the end wakes everything up. Chopped cooked chicken and hard-boiled eggs make it hearty enough to stand as a main dish with a basket of cornbread or cheese biscuits on the side.
Thrifty Sunday-night cooking. The kind of soup that happens after a roast chicken dinner, turning yesterday’s scraps into tomorrow’s meal.
Chef Tips
- Simmer the carcass, don’t boil it. A gentle bubble for an hour pulls flavor without clouding the broth.
- Scald the milk first (heat until it just shimmers, not bubbling), then temper into the egg yolks. Cold milk into hot eggs scrambles them.
- Refrigerate the broth before using so you can lift the fat off in a clean layer.
- Salt last, not early. Reduction concentrates the saltiness, and over-salted chowder is hard to fix once thickened.
Variations
- Add a cup of corn kernels for sweetness and classic chowder texture.
- Swap milk for half-and-half for a richer version that eats more like New England chowder.
- Stir in a handful of shredded sharp cheddar at the end for a cheesy chicken chowder.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the chicken carcass, bouquet garni and garlic in 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Strain broth, refrigerate, and skim fat.
In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil over medium heat. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt, marjoram and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Beat milk into egg yolks in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in ½ cup of the hot broth. Stir into soup. Add sherry, chicken, and chopped eggs. Heat through.
Pour into bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve with chese biscuits or cornbread.
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