Green Borscht

Method

1. 1Bring the water to a boil, add the chicken, the bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and skim off the froth. Simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes, until the meat pulls easily away from the bone and reads 74°C in the thickest part, next to the bone. Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs: cover them with cold water, bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, then cool them in ice water so the yolks stay yellow. Lift the chicken out, shred the meat off the bones, discard the skin and bones, and return the meat to the pot.
2. 2Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Add them to the broth and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until a knife slides in without resistance but the cubes still hold their shape.
3. 3Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and grate the carrot. Soften them in the oil in a pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns translucent and the carrot a pale orange; do not let them brown. Add to the pot.
4. 4Wash the sorrel, cut off the tough stems, and chop the leaves. Stir them into the simmering soup and cook just 3 to 5 minutes, until the leaves turn from bright green to olive and collapse. Added at the end and cooked briefly, sorrel keeps its color and its sharp, lemony aroma; longer cooking turns it a dull grey-brown.
5. 5Stir in the dill, the remaining salt, and the black pepper. Remove the bay leaf. Taste: the soup should be clearly sour, so adjust the salt only now.
6. 6Take the pot off the heat and let it rest 10 minutes so the flavors settle.
7. 7Serve hot. Peel the cooled eggs, chop or grate them, and put them in each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream.