Barnyard Chowder

2 eggs
3 medium baking potatoes
3 medium carrots
3 stalks celery
1 medium onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 pound boned and skinned chicken breasts
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 1/2 cups half and half
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup dry sherry

Cover 2 eggs with water in a small saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and hard-cook the eggs, 10-12 minutes. Drain the eggs and run them under cold water until they are cool enough to handle, then peel them.

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cut the chicken breasts into strips and cook in the boiling water until opaque throughout, 5-6 minutes. Drain; chop the chicken when it's cool enough to handle.

Peel and slice the carrots. Trim and chop the celery. Peel and chop the onion. Chop the parsley. [Note: everything up to this point can be done the day before. The carrots, celery, onion, and parsley can all be done in a food processor, but make sure to keep the parsley separate since it doesn't go in until the end.]

Peel and dice the potatoes. Bring the broth to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and marjoram; season to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes; while that cooks, chop the hard-cooked eggs.

Scald the half-and-half in the egg saucepan. Whisk in the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in 1/2-cup of the hot broth and stir the mixture back into the soup. Combine the flour and sherry, and whisk the mixture into the soup, cooking, but not boiling, until the soup begins to thicken. Add the chicken and the chopped eggs, cover, and simmer until the soup is heated through. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Serve with a salad and fresh sourdough bread. Makes 6-8 servings.