Recipe Instructions:
For the broth:
9 cups [2 liters] water
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
1 pound [453 g] chicken backs, bones, and/or wings
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
For the egg noodles:
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray (Julia's preference is olive oil spray, and I've used a few drops of oil wiped around the pan with a clean kitchen towel in a pinch)
Directions
First, make the broth: Place the water, onion, chicken parts, pepper, and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot over high heat. Don’t fear the large quantity of salt (remember you’re seasoning all of that water).
Bring the mixture to a boil, skim off and discard any foam that rises to the top, and then turn the heat to low. Simmer the broth gently so that it just barely bubbles, and cook until the chicken pieces totally fall apart and the broth is incredibly fragrant, about 2 hours. Ladle the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot (or, if you don’t have another large pot, ladle it into a bowl, clean the pot you started with, and return the broth to the pot). Discard the contents of the sieve (everything in it will have given all it can by this point, but by all means feel free to pick the chicken meat and snack on it; it won’t have much flavor, but there’s something very satisfying about standing next to a steaming pot and doing this).
Season the broth to taste with additional salt if needed. Keep the broth warm over low heat.
Then, make the egg noodles: Place the eggs in a large bowl with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and whisk very well.
Set a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray the surface with cooking spray (if you don’t have spray, wipe a thin layer of oil around the pan with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel). Add enough of the beaten eggs to just coat the bottom of the pan and swirl the pan to coat the surface with the egg (pour any excess back into the bowl). Let the thin omelet cook until it’s no longer runny and just cooked through (no need to flip as it’s so thin) and then use a silicone spatula to nudge it onto a plate. Repeat the process until you’ve used up all of the beaten eggs, stacking the omelets as you go. Regulate the heat and spray the skillet with cooking spray as needed in between omelets (you might not need to spray between each one depending on the nonstickness of your skillet). You will likely end up with 4 or 5 thin omelets (but it really depends on the size of your pan).
Roll your stack of omelets together and then cut them crosswise into thin ribbons.
Serve: Divide the noodles among 4 large bowls and ladle the broth over them. Serve immediately.
