Saffron Chicken Soup
By: Emily Heston
Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 4:55pm

Ingredients




5 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, sprinkled with salt, pepp
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
1/2 cup chopped fennel root
2 cups coarsley chopped ripe tomatoes (about 2 medium tomatoes)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup white wine
3/4 cup Pernod (or Pastis)
10 sprigs fresh thyme
6 inches baby red potatoes, cut  ½ and thickly sliced (optional)
Aioli Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1 Place saffron threads in medium sauce pan over medium high heat, stir around until you smell the fragrance, then pour in chicken stock (this allows the saffron flavor to infuse the broth). 2 Allow the seasoned chicken to sit at room temperature for up to an hour. 3 Drizzle olive oil into the pan and heat over medium high heat. 4 Cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks. 5 Put chicken chunks in heated oil.  Cook until lightly browned. 6 Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm. 7 Toss potatoes into remaining oil/fat, allow to become golden brown and remove from heat (store in oven if possible). 8 Reduce heat to medium, add chopped onion, celery, and fennel root, cook until onions are translucent. 9 Add tomatoes and garlic to vegetables.  Cook until the tomatoes are just soft. 10 Add saffron infused stock, Pernod, wine and the thyme sprigs. 11 Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 1/2 hour.  After about 25 minutes, add the chicken and allow it to warm. 12 Set the table with soup bowls and spoons. The potatoes can be put in the soup bowl with the soup ladled over them. 13 Serve with a large bowl of aioli to dollop on top. 14 Aioli steps: 15 Into a food processor bowl, outfitted with a metal blade, drop garlic cloves, pulse blade until the garlic is pulverized, then stop. Drop egg yolks into bowl, add salt. Start the blade again and VERY slowly dribble in the olive oil until a thick paste is formed. In a matter of minutes you'll have a bowl full of delight!

About


Here is a recipe for a splendidly simple and delicious chicken and vegetable soup that offers of the warming flavors from one of our favorite regions in Europe, the South of France.  
Beyond being joyfully drenched in a saffrony broth, this soup provides a great excuse to indulge in aioli. Aioli is a garlicky mayonnaise from that region which is very easy to make and is delicious on everything. We like to keep a tub in the refrigerator to add to sandwiches or dollop on salads for a delicious burst of garlic and green olive oil flavor.  You may want to indulge in a bottle of cold Rosé wine with this dish, no need to wait for summer!  The Pernod and fennel root round out the classic bouillabaisse flavor profile.
The potatoes can be omitted, or if another starch is desired, cooked pasta, cous cous or rice would be nice.