Instructions: Rinse the chicken place it in a large saucepan and cover with 1.75L water.

Bring to the boil and skim until clear.

Add all the vegetables the parsley peppercorns and salt to taste.

Cover and cook for about 1 hour or 30 minutes longer if a boiling fowl is used.

When the leg of the bird can be pulled easily away from the body it is done.

Take the chicken out strain the broth and discard the vegetables.

Pull away the two breasts from the bird skin them and discard the skin.

Dice the meat.

You can do the same with the leg meat if you want the soup to be more substantial otherwise keep the legs for a salad perhaps.

Pour the broth back into the saucepan and add the breast meat.

It can be prepared up to this stage well in advance even the day before.

About a quarter of an hour before the soup is to be served bring it back to the boil and add the rice.

Cover and cook for about 8 minutes.

Let it cool off the heat for 5 minutes.

Make the sauce while the soup is cooling: Add a ladleful of chicken broth to the egg mixture slowly and beat together for 1 minute and then add another ladleful and beat.

By now the sauce will be warm so you can pour it slowly into the soup off the heat and stir vigorously to mix.

Warm the soup up over a very very gentle heat otherwise the eggs may cook although the cornflour will safeguard against that.

Serve immediately with a plate of lemon quarters on the table and fresh bread.

This very delicious soup could be served either as a first course or as a meal in itself for an informal occasion or a family lunch.

Serves 6

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.