[Sca-cooks] Dayboard for 100 help needed ASAP

[a5foil]

Here's another chicken soup recipe. It's not "period" -- that is, it's not a
redaction of a known recipe -- but it uses only very early ingredients and
methods, so it's suitable for Viking events and suchlike, and it seems to be
popular. The nicest thing is it can be done a day or two ahead and reheated
without suffering -- just don't cook the barley all the way through the
first time.

Chicken Soup with Barley

3 1/4 pounds chicken pieces
1 medium onion -- peeled and quartered
1 large clove garlic -- peeled and smashed
3 quarts water
1 14½-oz. can chicken broth, or 1 2/3 cups
1/4 cup salted butter
1 pound yellow onion
1/2 pound carrots
1/2 pound parsnips
4 stalks celery with leaves
1 cup barley -- rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
dried or fresh herbs -- to taste

Place chicken, onion and garlic in an 8-quart stock pot. Add 3 quarts water
and 1 can of chicken broth. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and
simmer, covered, until chicken is done, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove pot from
heat and allow to cool. Strain and reserve chicken broth. Shred chicken
meat, discarding skin and bones.

Melt the butter in a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Peel the onion and
cut it into 1/2" dice . Scrub, core and dice the carrots and parsnips. Rinse
and dice the celery. Add the vegetables to the pan as they are
ready, stirring after each addition. Add the rinsed barley, stir well, and
cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the reserved chicken broth to the vegetable-barley mixture. Bring to a
boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1
hour, or until the barley is tender.

Bring the soup back to the boil and add the chicken meat and salt. Cover,
reduce heat, and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Season to
taste with additional kosher salt, black pepper and herbs. Simmer 5 to 10
more minutes to blend flavors.

To make ahead, simmer the vegetable-barley mixture about 45 minutes, then
add the chicken and salt. Cool and transfer to storage container. Keep
refrigerated until ready to reheat.

Yield: 20 cups -- Allow about 3/4 cup per person.

Aelfwynn