Ingredients

　　One whole 3-4 pound chicken with skin and fat removed

　　3 quarts water

　　3 onions, quartered

　　3 carrots, quartered

　　3 stalks celery, halved

　　6 whole dried Chinese black mushrooms (optional)

　　2 cloves garlic

　　4 sprigs fresh parsley

　　2 bay leaves

　　2 teaspoons salt

　　1/4 teaspoon black pepper

　　5-7 ounces of your favorite egg noodles (1 prefer dumpling style)

　　Place the chicken in a large stockpot. Add the water and place over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables, mushrooms (if using), garlic, parsley, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 1/2 hours. Remove the chicken from the pot. Remove the meat from the bones and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside. Remove the mushrooms, if using, and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaves. With a slotted spoon, remove the rest of the solids from the stockpot and transfer them to a blender or large food processor. Purée the solids, adding some of the liquid from the stockpot if it is too thick to blend; set aside. Return the remaining stock to a boil, add the noodles, and cook until al dente—tender but still slightly firm. Reduce the heat, stir in the puréed vegetables, chicken, and mushrooms, and serve.

　　The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen. © 2001 by Paula H. Deen. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Paula H. Deen was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. She later moved to Savannah, where she and her two sons, Bobby and Jamie, started the Bag Lady catering company. The business took off and evolved into The Lady & Sons Restaurant, which is located in Savannah’s historic district and specializes in Southern cooking. Paula is the host of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and is a regular guest on QVC, where her cookbooks are one of the newtowrk’s biggest sellers.