Preparation instructions

1. Clean and rinse the chicken well, then cut it into portions. Place the pieces in a pot with cold water and a little salt, and cook over medium heat, uncovered.
2. After the first boil, skim off the foam. Add half of the onion, a small piece of carrot, the bay leaf and the peppercorns. Simmer over low heat for 45–60 minutes, until the meat is tender. The broth should barely tremble, never boil hard, so it stays clear.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the other half of the onion and sauté it in oil until translucent. Cut the bell pepper into very thin strips. Cut the remaining carrot into fine noodle-like strips. Add both to the onion and cook a few more minutes over low heat.
4. When the meat is cooked, remove the pot from the heat, let the broth settle for a few minutes, then strain it. Keep the meat warm.
5. Return the strained broth to the heat. Add the sautéed vegetables, borș, salt to taste, lovage and thyme sprigs.
6. Add the diced tomato, chopped herbs and homemade noodles. When the zeama comes to a boil and the noodles are cooked, turn off the heat.
7. To serve, place a piece of meat in each bowl and ladle hot zeama over it. It goes well with homemade flatbread or bread, hot pepper or sour cream.