Chicken Soup

My husband Bob seems to instinctively know what to do in somebody’s hour of need.

It was January 2014 and I had just had two wisdom teeth extracted. The timing of it meant I missed out on our annual Australia Day camping weekend, which had particular significance to us as it was on a camping trip like that where we first met.

The timing of it also meant that I was able to stay the week at my Mum's which was precious as she was to pass away only three weeks later.

There is something cathartic about staying in your family home and in your childhood bedroom while you are sick. Mum, although being in her late stage of pancreatic cancer, made sure that I was the only patient in the house to her mind. I developed an open socket which is a painful condition in which the hole from the wisdom tooth doesn't close over as it should and leaves the hole and the bone beneath it bare.

Because of this open socket, I couldn't resume to solids as quickly as I expected and thus quickly grew hungry with little options available. Mum asked her carer Carmel who had by this stage become as close as a family member, to heat up some soy milk with honey for me to drink through a straw and to this day, it is one of the most comforting drinks I enjoy before bed.

Bob was leaving for the camping weekend that night and dropped by Mum's house on the way with a huge tupperware container of homemade chicken soup for me. A total lifeline for me as I couldn't eat solids and I had it for every meal for the entire week. Bob grew up with this chicken soup being made whenever someone was ill. I learned as I had with his trout linguine that the right food at the right time is medicinal, comforting and nurturing.

I later made the total faux pas of buying Bob an indian curry after he almost fainted whilst driving across the harbour bridge. Yes, a malibu lamb curry may be awesome but was not the right food for that moment.

Ingredients:
Whole chicken, skin removed.

12 cups of water
4 x Carrots, diced
3 x Celery stalks, diced
3 x Potato, diced
Handful of continental parsley, finely chopped
6tsp chicken stock powder
Salt and pepper

Angel Hair Pasta, broken into 4cm lengths

Method:
Remove skin and fat from the chicken, and cut off the bottom. Remove the wings and if desired for another dish. 
Wash the chicken then place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then simmer for about ½ hour.
Add carrots, celery, and potato with the parsley and chicken powder stock.
Cook for about ½ hour to an hour or until veggies are cooked.
When cooked, remove chicken from soup and shred before returning to saucepan.
Add some angel hair pasta a few minutes before turning off heat.