Chicken Soup With Homemade Egg Noodles

We never know when a meal will turn blog worthy.

In this case though, there’s no excuse. The silken chicken stock Rick had made last weekend had a serious “lump in my throat” potential right out of the fridge.

Have I mentioned sometimes his soup makes me cry?

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We had egg noodles in the cupboard, but a cold Thursday night in March in Teton Valley occasionally calls for homemade everything.

I had never tried to make egg noodles before. Beginners make mistakes, like halving a recipe calling for 5 eggs. What does half an egg look like, and how do you pull off the math in real time?

I still don’t know, but I ended up thinking that I had added too much egg, so I added more flour to compensate, then too much water too late in the game to compensate for the too much flour… The sum total was a stiff little blob and not at all what the recipe described as “a soft dough.”

I left it to sit quietly on the counter for an hour to think about whether or not it might have a change in attitude.

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Miracles do happen.

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I played with the dough for a full 15 minutes in celebration of the humble egg noodle.

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Time to do the final roll out and get down to business.

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One of the wonderful things about handmade anything is how okay it is if things turn out a little uneven.

Like life. I love my handmade life.

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I also love Rick’s hands, and the part they play in my handmade life.

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He’s a hands-on kinda guy. He loves to grab salt out of the bowl and toss it around like Jacques Peppin.

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I’m also very fond of his forearms, especially when they are involved in moving pots around on a stove or holding his guitar.

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Fragrant stock, tender chicken grilled the day before, and my lumpy lovely little noodles…

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I wish we could add a scratch ‘n sniff widget to this blog.

I’d invite you to touch the noodle soup with the inside of your mouth and let the aroma of peace and healing and sanctuary waft up in to your grateful mind and crawl in to your unconscious to keep you company as you sleep.

Until then, how about we just give you the recipe for the egg noodles and let you see for yourself?

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Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Noodles (borrowed from The Joy of Cooking)

Mix together in a large bowl 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Make a well in the center of the flour. Lightly beat together and pour into the well 1 large egg and 4 large egg yolks.

Beat the eggs with a fork, drawing in some flour as you do until they are slightly thickened. Using the fingertips of one hand, gradually incorporate the flour and blend everything into a smooth, not too stiff dough, adding as needed 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. This part gets you into a sticky gooey mess very quickly, so brace yourself. Just hang in there and keep mushing the goo around until it starts to form a ball. I got the last of the dough out of my index finger knuckle well before bedtime, so no worries.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 5 minutes to form a “soft dough.” HA! Don’t get stuck on the “how soft is soft?” dilemma. It will get over itself. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking.

Give it a “time out” on the counter, covered in plastic wrap, for 30-60 minutes.

Divide the dough in four pieces and roll each piece out into a lovely, thin, soft circle. Play with the dough for as long as makes you happy. Cut it into noodles as wide as suits your fancy. Throw into boiling salted water/stock/stew/whatever until they’re tender and fabulous.

Enjoy!

One thought on “Chicken Soup With Homemade Egg Noodles

  1. Dad/Mom

    Sandi–Okay, you’re making me drool here. 😉 Nice counter tops, and chopping board. What does the rest of the kitchen look like?

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