Place the chicken in a saucepan large enough to hold both it and the vegetables. Cover with water and bring to the boil while frothing. Let the chicken simmer for another 10-15 minutes, and froth along the way.
Wash and peel the vegetables, and pick the parsley leaves from the stems. Add all the vegetables (they should be cut into coarse cubes) together with the parsley stalks, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns. Boil it gently for another hour, and check if the chicken and vegetables are tender, so that they have given off power and aroma to the soup.
Take the chicken up and let it cool on a platter. Pick all the meat from the chicken, and keep it in a bowl, and have the bones back in the soup. Boil the soup a little until it tastes strong.
Strain the soup through a fine strainer or possibly with a clean, twisted kitchen towel over the strainer. Transfer the finished strained soup to a clean pot.
Bring to the boil and skim off.
Season the soup with salt and pepper.
Melboller
Boil water and butter in a small saucepan. Stir the flour into the pan with a spoon, and bake the mass for 1-2 minutes over low heat.
Take the pot off the stove, cool slightly, and stir in one egg at a time. Beat the dough until firm and smooth.
Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Cool the dough completely in a spray bag or bowl.
Boil a pot of well-salted water. Spray bowls into the water from the spray bag, or form small bowls with two teaspoons, dipped in boiling water. Do it several times.
Let the bowls simmer for 2 minutes until they have settled in the surface of the water. Lift them into cold water with salt.
Serving
Peel and cut carrot, parsley, celery and potato into small cubes. Wash and chop the parsley. Put it in the soup and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Season with a little salt, and have picked chicken in the soup just before serving.
Put the flour balls in a deep plate and pour the soup over. Sprinkle with chopped chervil and serve immediately.
Tips
If necessary, use the remaining chicken to make both chicken salad with bacon and a risotto with chicken and thyme, together with part of the soup. That way, the chicken can last for three meals.