Okay, so today I decided to whip up a batch of hønsekødssuppe. Nothing quite like it, honestly. It’s a bit of a Sunday ritual in my house sometimes, or whenever the mood strikes. It takes a bit of time, sure, but the payoff is huge.
Getting Started – The Chicken is Key
First off, I grab a whole chicken. None of that pre-cut nonsense for this. A proper, good-sized bird. I give it a good wash under the tap, inside and out. Get rid of any bits you don’t want. Then, it goes straight into my biggest stockpot. You really need a big pot for this, don’t skimp on the size.
Cover that bird with cold water. Always cold. My grandma used to say it pulls out more flavour, or impurities, or something. I just do it. Then I toss in some rough-cut aromatics. For me, this usually means:
- A big onion, just quartered, skin on for a bit of colour.
- A couple of carrots, snapped in half. No need to be fancy.
- A stick or two of celery, also just broken up.
- A few black peppercorns.
- And a bay leaf, maybe two if I’m feeling generous.
That’s the base. Pretty simple stuff.
The Long Simmer and the Skim
Now, I put the pot on the stove and bring it up to a simmer. And I mean a gentle simmer. You don’t want a crazy, rolling boil here, it just makes the broth cloudy and tough. Slow and steady wins the race with soup.
And here’s a part you absolutely cannot skip: skimming. As it heats up, all sorts of foamy, scummy stuff will float to the top. You gotta get in there with a ladle or a big spoon and skim all that off. Be patient with it. Do it a few times. This is what makes your broth nice and clear and not taste… well, scummy. I let this whole thing bubble away very gently for a good hour and a half, maybe even two hours. The chicken should be super tender, practically falling apart.
Prepping the Actual Soup Veggies
While that chicken is having its long bath, I start prepping the vegetables that will actually go in the finished soup. I like to keep it classic. Usually, I chop up some carrots into small dice. Then a couple of leeks, sliced up – and make sure you wash those leeks properly, they can hide a lot of grit between the layers. Sometimes I’ll throw in some diced celeriac if I have it, adds a nice earthy flavour.
I tend to cook these veggies separately in a little bit of salted water until they’re just tender. Some folks cook them right in the broth later, but I find I have more control this way. Personal preference, really.
Putting It All Together
Alright, once the chicken is cooked through, I carefully fish it out of the pot. It’ll be hot, so watch yourself. I set it aside on a plate to cool down enough so I can handle it. Then, I strain the broth. Pour it all through a fine-mesh sieve into another clean pot or a big bowl. You want to catch all those bits of onion and peppercorns. The clearer the broth, the better, I always say.
Once the chicken is cool enough, I get my hands dirty and shred all the meat off the bones. Discard the skin and bones. Or save the bones for another stock, if you’re that ambitious. I usually just toss ‘em.
Now, into that beautiful strained broth, I add back the shredded chicken. Then the cooked vegetables I prepped earlier. And of course, you can’t have a proper hønsekødssuppe without kødboller (meatballs) and melboller (dumplings). I’ll be honest, sometimes I make them from scratch, but today? Good quality store-bought ones did the trick. Just pop them into the soup and let them heat through.
Last step, taste it. It’ll probably need some salt. Freshly ground black pepper too. And then, the final touch for me is a big handful of freshly chopped parsley. Stir it in right at the end. It just lifts everything.
And That’s How I Do It
So yeah, that’s my hønsekødssuppe. It’s not a quick meal, it’s an afternoon affair. But it’s proper comfort food. Makes the whole house smell amazing. I always make a huge pot. If there are any leftovers, which is rare, it’s even better the next day. Hope you try it out sometime. It’s not as hard as it looks, just takes a bit of patience.
