Consommé Nikitouche

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To make the little dumplings, pulse the olive oil, semolina flour, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Stream in 1 tablespoon of water, and continue to pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.

   Step 2

   When the dough has rested, take a little bit of dough, about the size of a pea, and roll it into a ball between your thumb and index finger or between your right index finger and left palm. Repeat until all of the dough has been formed into little balls. Place the nikitouches on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cover them with a dry towel. Make sure that they are well separated, so that they don’t stick together. Let the nikitouches dry for at least 8 hours but preferably overnight. Once they are dry, they can be stored in a tightly sealed jar.

   Step 3

   To make the bouillon, put the chicken in a pot and cover it with 8 to 10 cups of water. Add the celery, zucchini, onion, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, skim off the scum that rises, and lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes. Add the nikitouches, and simmer gently, covered, for 45 more minutes. They should double in size.

   Step 4

   To serve, remove the skin from the chicken, break the meat into chunks, and put several chunks in each individual bowl. Ladle the soup and the nikitouches over the chicken, and serve hot.