CHICKEN SOUP WITH PASTE (Arabaşı Çorbası)

This is a middle-Anatolian soup made with a very special paste. People, once taste this soup, become addictive to it. Not only it warms you in cold winter nights but a great welcoming treat for your visitors as well. Against the common notion stating a traditional meal requires hard labor, this soup is straightforward. The paste is an optional element, as a matter of fact, I don't cook the paste. It does not add to the taste of the soup, it is favored by its fulfilling property. You can still enjoy to the full if you only cook the soup. But I'll give you the recipe for both of them.

Ingredients:

• A small chicken, 1 kg (or you can buy a chicken breast and 3-4 drumsticks)
• Flour, 3 tablespoons
• Salcha, 1 tablespoon
• Red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper, 1 tablespoon
• Salt, 1 teaspoon
• Half lemon
• 60 mL olive oil
• Water, 2 liters

Preparation:

• Put the chicken in 2 liters of water, bring to boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
• Take the chicken out of the saucepan and let it cool aside. Keep the water, we'll use it.
• When the chicken is cooled enough for you to handle it, discard the skins, pull small pieces apart from the breast and drumsticks. (If you used whole chicken, still use only breast and drumsticks. You can save the remaining parts in the fridge or freezer to use in stocks or in other meals.)
• Put small chicken pieces back into the water in which they were boiled and continue cooking. 
• In a pan, roast the flour by itself, without adding anything else.
• When the flour turns pinkish color, add 100-120 mL cold water and whisk immediately and fast.
• Add the wet flour to the saucepan (has chicken in it) gradually by mixing.
• In the same pan, heat up oil, salcha and spices and add these to the saucepan as well.
• Cook the soup for a further 20 minutes.
• Serve with a lemon.

For the paste:

• Water, 2 liters
• Flour, 320 g
• Salt

Bring the water to boil, add salt. In a bowl, mix the flour with a 300 mL water. Add the flour to the water gradually by mixing all the time with a whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Wash an oven tray but do not wipe, it should stay wet. Pour the flour-water mixture all into the tray. Leave it to cool in fridge or in a cool place. When it gets solid, cut into argyle pieces and serve with the soup.