Orofino’s Chicken Soup is available for delivery

For Muzaffer Inanichi, there is only one dish that can comfort his soul in hard times: his mother’s recipe for red chicken soup. “We offer it as ‘Arabian chicken soup.’ This is their common name, but there is nothing Arabic about the soup,” says the owner of the Zoppenbroich restaurant.

He does not know why the soup was once called that, only that it is known to everyone in his ancestral homeland, in the region between the Taurus Mountains and Central Anatolia. “In winter, we ate soup at home almost every Sunday. It warms you up from the inside out, and you’re just fine when you don’t feel it. Each housewife in the district has her own soup recipe, the main element of which is frying flour.”

Because if you fry it too much, the soup turns out burnt. There are also different approaches when it comes to the meat itself. Inanichi would never take a rooster because its meat is too tough for him. He prefers the leg and breast of a large soup chicken: “Then the soup has more flavor than the version with a small chicken.”

Not only will Inanici no longer serve chicken soup to its guests at Orofino. On March 19, he closed his restaurant indefinitely. Since then, he has delivered food or made it available to customers to pick up at the restaurant entrance. Of course, Arabic chicken soup is also offered. “Last week we already had a drop in sales as half of our table reservations were cancelled,” he says. When the city then set restaurant hours from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., “I walked out. We are not close enough to the center of Raidt to have a purely lunch menu,” regrets the 61-year-old man, who has lived in Germany for 50 years.

He sent his ten employees home, and he does the delivery himself with the help of his wife and two children. He does not know how to proceed. “Financially, I can’t keep the restaurant closed for three months.” He has already contacted banks regarding a bridging loan.

He feels great solidarity from friends and regular customers: “People call me every day and ask how they can help me. It gives me hope,” says Inanichi. Now he and his wife spend a lot of time walking together in the country streets near Orofino: “I think positively and now I enjoy my free time with my family.”

Ingredients for four people: 1 small soup chicken or leg and breast of a large soup chicken, 150 g of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of hot paprika, 4½ l of water, salt, 1 tablespoon of butter, 200 g of flour, lemons for garnish

preparation: Pour cold water into the pan. Salt the meat, rinse and immerse in water. salt Before the water boils, remove the egg white. After boiling, cook at a low temperature. Meanwhile, melt ½ tablespoon of butter in a skillet. Add flour and fry until golden, stirring constantly. Then let it cool.

Then put ½ tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan, add the tomato paste with paprika and stir-fry. Add 200 ml of water or chicken broth, simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan. Add the tomato-paprika sauce to the chicken broth. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Then add a little water or chicken broth to the fried flour and mix with a whisk. Add to chicken broth and simmer for half an hour. Cut the meat into small pieces, also add to the broth and simmer for half an hour. Serve garnished with lemons.

In addition goes well with spicy, slightly fruity Riesling.

Every day all the news about the corona crisis in your city – order our free newsletter “Total Local” with daily special Corona edition now!