Begova Čorba | Bosnian Chicken Soup with Okra and Egg-Lemon Tempering

Place the whole chicken in a large pot and cover it with 2.5 liters of cold water. Slowly bring it to a boil over medium heat. Patiently skim off the gray foam that gathers on the surface; if you leave it in, the soup will turn cloudy and the tempering may not bind properly.

Once the foam has stopped forming, add the coarsely chopped carrot, celeriac root, potato, and onion, along with the salt. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting; the water should not bubble vigorously. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. Do not remove the chicken until it reaches 74°C / 165°F.

Soak the dried okra in lukewarm water for 10 minutes to soften it. Trim the stem ends into a cone shape and remove any threads. Discard the soaking water. Dried okra releases much less mucilage than fresh okra, which is why it is preferred in this soup.

Remove the chicken and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside the vegetables; you can dice some of them and return them to the soup. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and shred the meat into strands using two fingers.

Melt the butter, add the flour, and whisk over low heat for 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell disappears. Do not let it brown; Begova čorba is a pale soup. Gradually whisk in hot strained broth until thickened and smooth.

Add the softened okra and shredded chicken to the pot and cook over low heat for 8 minutes. The okra should feel tender on the tongue but still hold its shape. Grind the black pepper in at this stage, then taste and adjust the salt.

Whisk the egg yolks with the kajmak and lemon juice. Add hot soup from the pot one ladleful at a time, whisking constantly; this will take three or four ladlefuls. Turn off the heat, pour the tempered mixture into the pot, and swirl the pot to distribute it. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.