Moldovan Zama (Sour Chicken Noodle Soup)

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Zama is a traditional Moldovan soup, and it's just incredibly delicious! Its key ingredient is sour bran kvass (a fermented bran drink). It can be hard to find outside Eastern Europe, but there are plenty of recipes for making it online. My relatives in Chisinau send me a dry version in packets. You can substitute citric acid, though I can't give exact proportions — try about 1/2 tablespoon per pot, and add a little more to taste if needed.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the chicken, cut it up, and put it on to cook (I remove the skin). Now make the noodles. Beat just the white of 1 egg into a bowl and add salt. You can use the whole egg, but then you'll have a lot of noodles — though you can save the extra for another batch of soup. Knead a stiff dough. Whatever you do, don't add any water — egg only! Set it aside to rest.

3. Step 3:

   

   Check on the chicken in the pot. Skim off the foam, lower the heat so the broth stays clear, and add 1 bay leaf and 7–10 black peppercorns. You can crush the pepper in a mortar or add it whole.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cut all the vegetables into thin strips — the thinner you slice them, the prettier the soup, though the thickness doesn't affect the taste at all! Before slicing the tomatoes, pour boiling water over them and peel off the skins; but if the skins don't bother you, you can skip this.

5. Step 5:

   

   Once the meat is fully cooked, add the onion, carrot, and celery root to the pot all at once. While that cooks, make the noodles.

6. Step 6:

   

   Roll the dough out thin, about 1/16 inch (1 mm) thick. Cut it into strips 1.5–2 inches (4–5 cm) wide, then slice into thin noodles.

7. Step 7:

   

   Scatter the noodles on the counter and let them dry for about 10 minutes.

8. Step 8:

   

   By the time the noodles are made, the vegetables will be cooked. Add the peppers and tomatoes. I don't throw away the herb stems — I chop them finely and add them to the soup at this stage.

9. Step 9:

   

   Put the noodles in a sieve or colander and shake well to remove the excess flour.

10. Step 10:

    

    Set a pot of water for the noodles on the heat. Salt the water and, once it boils, add the noodles. As soon as it foams up, turn off the heat and let them sit in the water for 7–10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water.

11. Step 11:

    

    Add the cooked noodles, fresh herbs, and 1 tablespoon of sour kvass. The soup will turn slightly cloudy — don't worry, that's how it should be! If there isn't enough liquid, add some hot boiled water. Season with salt and let it simmer for 5–7 minutes.

12. Step 12:

    

    Enjoy!