Steps
- Put 675g of chicken legs, 2 quartered onions, and 2 cleaned chopped leeks in a stockpot with 7 cups of cold water.
- Add 2 sliced carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, 2 peeled garlic cloves, 10 parsley sprigs, and 15 black peppercorns.
- Add 3 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, 1 blade of mace, and 1 teaspoon of dried basil.
- Bring to a boil uncovered, then simmer gently for 2 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C. Add water if the level falls too low.
- Remove the chicken; discard its skin and bones and chop the meat. Strain the broth, discard the solids, and top up to its original volume with water.
- Return the chicken to the broth with ¼ cup of vermicelli noodles. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the noodles are tender.
- Stir in the finely chopped leaves from 20 celery sprigs and 20 parsley sprigs. Season with salt and pepper.