Zeamă

Ingredients

• 1kg bone-in chicken pieces
• 8 cups water
• 1 onion, whole, peeled
• 1 carrot, whole
• 1 celery root or 2 celery stalks
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• Water, as needed for noodles
• 1 tomato, grated
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh lovage (or celery leaves)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Before you cook

• Mix the flour and egg with just enough water to form a stiff dough, knead briefly, then roll it out thinly and let it dry for 10 minutes before cutting it into thin noodle strips.
• Grate the tomato.
• Chop the lovage, parsley and dill.

Steps

1. Put the chicken into a large pot with the water and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam.
2. Add the whole onion, carrot and celery root.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour until the chicken is falling-apart tender.
4. Lift out the chicken and vegetables, and discard the onion and celery root.
5. Dice the carrot and shred the chicken meat off the bone, then return both to the broth.
6. Stir in the grated tomato.
7. Bring the broth back to a simmer and drop in the noodles.
8. Cook for 5 minutes until the noodles are tender.
9. Stir in the lovage, parsley and dill.
10. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
11. Simmer for 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat.
12. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.