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1
Poach the Chicken
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F); chicken to 74°C (165°F)
Put the 300 g of chicken breasts in the 1200 ml of cold chicken broth with the 2 bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F), and poach for about 15 minutes until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) inside. Lift the chicken out, shred it with two forks and keep the hot broth simmering.
Never boil the chicken hard — a rolling boil makes it tough and cloudy broth.
Done when: The chicken is white right through, shreds easily, and a thermometer reads 74°C (165°F).
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2
Toast the Orzo
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Melt the 20 g of butter with the 10 g of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, about 175°C (350°F). Add the 150 g of dry orzo and the 100 g of onion and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes until the orzo is deep golden and smells nutty.
Stir the whole time: toasted orzo goes from golden to burnt in under a minute.
Done when: The orzo is evenly golden brown and smells warm and nutty, like toasted bread.
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3
Add the Carrot and Cardamom
2 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Stir in the 100 g of diced carrot and the 2 g of ground cardamom and cook for 2 minutes more, until the cardamom smells warm and fragrant.
Bloom the spice in the fat, not in the liquid — the flavour is much stronger that way.
Done when: The pot smells of warm cardamom and the carrot has softened at the edges.
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4
Simmer in the Broth
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Pour in the hot chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot, and bring back to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 12–15 minutes until the orzo is tender and the soup has thickened slightly. Fish out and discard the bay leaves.
Keep it at a bare simmer: hard boiling makes the orzo swell, burst and turn the soup starchy.
Done when: The orzo is tender with a slight bite, and the broth is golden and lightly thickened.
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5
Add the Chicken and Season
3 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Stir the shredded chicken back into the pot with the 6 g of salt and the 1 g of black pepper. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the chicken is hot through, about 74°C (165°F), then taste and adjust the salt.
Taste before adding all the salt — a salty broth needs less than a plain one.
Done when: The chicken is hot through and the soup tastes seasoned, not flat.
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6
Finish with Lemon and Parsley
2 Mins
Serve hot, about 70°C (160°F)
Take the pot off the heat, stir in the 30 g of lemon juice and ladle into bowls. Scatter the 10 g of parsley over each bowl and serve with lemon wedges and warm bread.
The lemon goes in off the heat so its fresh flavour survives.
Done when: The soup is golden, steaming and bright with lemon, with green parsley on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the Egyptian orzo soup hot, with lemon wedges and warm bread — and make the orzo fresh for each serving, because it keeps drinking up the broth as it sits.
Egypt
1h 15m
