"The Flat 7UP Cure" Chicken Noodle & Root Bowl
English
Chapter 3: The Food Mom Made When I Was Sick (Invalid Cookery and Healing Bowls)
In Ireland, the ultimate maternal cure-all isn't a pill; it's a vigorously stirred, flattened glass of 7UP. This bowl translates that old-world alchemy into something sustaining, using the soda's citric acid to melt tough poultry into a tender, yielding submission. Paired with the humble root vegetables of the old country and the universal comfort of egg noodles, it is a restorative, unfussy remedy for whatever ails you—no doctor required.
Before you start
Flatten the 7UP.
Open the can a few hours beforehand and leave it on the counter. It honors the true Irish Mammy tradition of preparing the cure.
Ingredients
- Whole chicken (giblets removed) or bone-in skin-on chicken thighs1 (3-4 lb)
- 7UP (regular not diet)1 cup
- Cold water10 cups
- Yellow onion peeled and quartered1 large
- Garlic halved horizontally1 head
- Fresh thyme3 sprigs
- Bay leaves2
- Whole black peppercorns1 tsp
- Unsalted butter or olive oil1 tbsp
- Carrots peeled and cut into 1/2-inch coins2 large
- Celery finely diced2 stalks
- Leek (white and light green parts only) washed and sliced1 medium
- Turnip (or small rutabaga) peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes1 medium
- Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes2 medium
- Wide egg noodles2 cups
- Fresh parsley finely chopped1/4 cup
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepperTo taste
Method
- 01
Submerge the chicken, aromatics, and flat 7UP in water and bring to a gentle boil.
Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and let it simmer for 60 to 75 minutes. The soda's acidity acts as a quiet tenderizer.
- 02
Remove the chicken to cool, then strain and clarify the broth.
Discard the spent vegetables and herbs. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- 03
Sauté the carrots, celery, and leeks in butter until they soften.
Keep the heat moderate; you want to coax out their sweetness without browning them.
- 04
Return the clarified broth to the pot along with the turnips and potatoes.
Bring everything back to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the root vegetables yield easily to a fork.
- 05
Stir in the egg noodles and shredded chicken and cook until the noodles are tender.
This takes about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the fresh parsley, and aggressively season with kosher salt and black pepper to balance the broth's subtle sweetness.
Notes
Respect the soda rule.
Use regular, full-sugar 7UP or Sprite. Diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners that turn bitter and metallic when boiled.
Time-saving cheat.
If you're the one who is sick, skip the whole bird. Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, 8 cups of quality stock, and a half cup of 7UP.
Root vegetable variations.
Turnips offer a distinct, old-world rural flavor, but if they're too bitter, parsnips are a sweeter, readily available alternative.
From The Irish American Table.