Canja de Galinha

Portuguese chicken soup with lemon and mint. The mint is what gives it the lovely smell.

Ingredients

3lb of chicken

6 1/2oz chopped chicken giblets

6 cups of water

1 onion finely chopped

2 stalks of celery finely chopped

1 tsp of salt

2 bay leaves

2/3 cup of rice

4 tablespoons of lemon juice

Juice of 1 1/2 lemons

Handful of mint leaves finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Place the chicken in a large pot and add giblets, water, onions, celery, salt and bay leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat for two hours.

Remove the chicken and let it cool. Add rice to the broth and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the rice is soft. Stir occasionally.

While the rice is going, remove the skin from the chicken and remove meat from bones. Get rid of the bones and skin. Shred the meat and add it to the broth, add lemon juice, and serve sprinkled with mint.

Serves six to eight people.