Sürhüllü (سورخولو) — Azerbaijani Hand-torn Noodles in Hearty Chicken Broth

• 1200 gwhole chicken (cut into 6–8 pieces)
• 2500 mlwater
• 200 gyellow onion (1 large, halved)
• 120 gcarrot (1 medium, cut into large chunks)
• 60 gcelery stalk (1 large stalk, cut into large chunks)
• 1 leafbay leaf
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 2 tspfine sea salt (added in two stages)
• 0.25 tspsaffron threads (bloomed in hot broth)
• 300 gall-purpose flour
• 1egg (large)
• 20 gunsalted butter (optional but traditional for richness)
• 15 gfresh cilantro (chopped)
• 10 gfresh dill (chopped)
• 1 tbsplemon juice (for brightness)
• 0.5 tspground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth: add the chicken pieces and 2500 ml water to a large pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. As foam rises, skim for 8–10 minutes until the surface looks clean, then add onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 tsp of the salt.

2. 2

   Reduce the heat to low so the broth barely simmers and cook for 55–65 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and the broth tastes full. Remove the chicken to a tray to cool, then strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the aromatics for a clear soup.

3. 3

   Bloom the saffron: crush the saffron threads lightly between your fingers and place them in a small cup. Ladle in 60 ml of hot strained broth, stir, and let it steep for 10 minutes so the color and aroma fully release.

4. 4

   Prepare the noodle dough: in a bowl, mix flour and 0.5 tsp salt, then add the egg and 120 ml water. Stir, then knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic; if it feels dry, add 10 ml water and knead again until the dough is supple.

5. 5

   Rest and portion the dough: cover the dough and rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten, which makes hand-tearing easier. Divide into 2 pieces and keep one covered while you work with the other to prevent drying.

6. 6

   Shred the chicken: pull the cooled chicken meat into bite-size shreds, discarding skin and bones. Measure about 450 g shredded meat for the soup and reserve any extra for another use, keeping the portion size consistent for even servings.

7. 7

   Bring the soup base back: return the strained broth to the pot and bring it to a steady simmer. Add the shredded chicken, the remaining 1 tsp salt, the bloomed saffron liquid, and ground black pepper, then simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors meld.

8. 8

   Hand-torn the noodles (sürhüllü): lightly flour your hands and pinch off small pieces of dough, tearing them into thin, irregular noodle flakes about 2–3 cm long. Drop each piece directly into the simmering broth, stirring every 20–30 seconds so they do not clump at the bottom.

9. 9

   Cook the noodles: once all the dough is added, simmer for 6–8 minutes until the noodles are cooked through and the broth turns slightly velvety from the flour. Keep the heat gentle; a hard boil can make the broth cloudy and the noodles unevenly cooked.

10. 10

    Finish and serve: stir in the butter until melted, then add cilantro, dill, and the measured lemon juice. Let the soup rest off the heat for 5 minutes to settle, then ladle into bowls, ensuring each portion gets chicken and noodles.