Újházi tyúkhúsleves

Step 1: Rinse the 4 lb boiling hen or large free-range chicken, jointed pieces, put them in a large pot with the cold 12 ½ cups cold water and bring slowly to a simmer over a medium heat.

Step 2: Skim off the grey foam as it rises, until the surface is clear. Turn the heat down so the water barely trembles.

Step 3: Add the 2 tsp salt, 12 black peppercorns, 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves and simmer gently, half covered, for 1 hour.

Step 4: Add the 3 carrots, 2 parsley root or parsnip, 5 ½ oz celeriac, 1 kohlrabi, 1 tomato and 1 pale green pepper and simmer for 50 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender and the meat comes away from the bone. The thickest part of the meat must reach 165°F on a thermometer.

Step 5: Lift out the hen and the vegetables. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pan and discard the onion, tomato and pepper.

Step 6: Pull the meat from the bones into bite-sized pieces and cut the carrots, parsley root, celeriac and kohlrabi into neat slices.

Step 7: Bring the broth back to a simmer, add the 7 oz button or chestnut mushrooms and 5 ½ oz green peas, fresh or frozen and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.

Step 8: Meanwhile cook the 3 ½ oz thin egg vermicelli (cérnametélt) in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, until tender, and drain.

Step 9: Return the meat and sliced vegetables to the broth and heat for 3 minutes until piping hot. Taste for salt.

Step 10: Put a little vermicelli in each bowl, ladle over the soup and scatter with 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley. Cool leftovers quickly and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.