A 5- to 6-pound roasting chicken, 6 whole black peppercorns
cut into 6 or 8 pieces ½ c coarsely chopped celery
4 quarts water 2 medium-sized boiling potatoes,
2 medium-sized celery stalks, peeled and coarsely chopped
including the green leaves, cut ½ pound potpie squares (see recipe
into 3-inch pieces for homemade egg noodles below)
¼ tsp crumbled dried saffron 2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
threads or ¼ tsp ground saffron Freshly ground black pepper
1 T plus 2 tsp salt
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Combine the chicken and water in a heavy 6- to 8-quart casserole and
bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile skimming off the foam and scum as
they rise to the surface. Add the pieces of celery, saffron, 1 T of salt and
the peppercorns, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer partially covered for
about 1 hour, or until the chicken shows no resistance when a thigh is
pierced deeply with a small, sharp knife.While the chicken is simmering, make the potpie squares.
Homemade Egg Noodles
2 to 2½ c unsifted flour 3 eggs
½ tsp salt 1 T cold water
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Combine 2 c of the flour and the salt in a deep bowl or in a heap on a
pastry board. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and water. With
your fingers or a spoon, gradually mix the dry ingredients into the liquid
ones. When the mixture is well blended, gather it into a ball.Knead the dough on a board, or in the bowl, by pushing it down with the heels of your hands, pressing it forward and folding it back on itself. As you knead, incorporate up to ½ c more flour, sprinkling it over the ball by the tablespoonful and adding only enough to make a firm dough. Knead for about 10 minutes in all.
Gather the dough into a ball, place it on a floured board or table and, with the heel of your hand, press it into a circle about 1 inch thick. Dust a little flour over and under it and roll it out from the center to within an inch of the far edge. Lift the dough and turn it about 2 inches; roll again from the center to the far edge.
Repeat--lifting, turning, rolling-- until the circle is almost paper-thin. If the dough sticks to the board or table, lift it gently with a metal spatula and sprinkle a little flour under it.
Trim the edges of the circle. To make potpie squares, cut the dough into 2-inch squares with a small, sharp knife or a pastry wheel. Place the squares in one layer on a piece of wax paper. To make egg noodles, slice the dough into ¼-inch-wide strips with a pastry wheel or long sharp knife.
The freshly made potpies or noodles may be cooked at once or covered tightly with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator for a day or so or in the freezer for several months. Note: this recipe for homemade egg noodles (or potpie squares) will make about one pound. Since the recipe for chicken potpie only calls for using ½ pound of potpie squares, you can either cut the recipe for homemade egg noodles in half or you can go ahead and make the full pound of noodle dough and reserve half of the dough for later use.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Strain the stock through a fine sieve and return 2 quarts to the casserole. (Reserve the remaining stock for another use.) With a small, sharp knife, remove the skin from the chicken and cut the meat from the bones. Discard the skin and bones; slice the meat into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
Add the chopped celery, potatoes and the remaining 2 tsp of salt to the casserole and bring to a boil over high heat. Drop in the potpie squares and stir briefly, then cook briskly, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until the potpie squares are tender. Stir in the reserved chicken and parsley and cook for a minute or so to heat them through. Taste and season with more salt if desired and a few grindings of pepper.
To serve, ladle the chicken potpie into heated individual bowls. Serves 6 to 8.
