Soups

Asian Style Chicken Soup

To cook chicken & create stock:

2 whole chickens cut into 8, wings removed, skinned and excess fat removed

2 onions

2 stalks celery & celery tips

2 carrots

4 cloves garlic

3 sprigs rosemary

2 inch wedge of ginger, julienned

2 bay leaves

1 star anise cracked white pepper

1L unsalted/salt reduced chicken stock water

For the soup:

3 leeks, finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbls grated ginger

½ cup dry sherry approx

3-4 Tblsp kecap manis (thick sweet soy sauce)

2 tsp finely chopped chilli - red for extra heat, green for a milder tang

1 bunch tatsoi - 4-5 bulbs plus leaves salt & pepper bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped optional extras: rice noodles, egg noodles, corn, green beans, julienne of carrot

Method

Into a large steamer or stockpot add the stock and bring to a simmer. Removing the skin and excess fat from the chicken results in a clearer broth which requires very little skimming. Add the chickens and wings and surround with roughly chopped carrots, onions and celery, rosemary and bay leaves, star anise and garlic. Add a sprinkling of white pepper and bring to a simmer.

Cover with water, ensuring chicken is completely submerged. Allow to simmer for between 1 hour and 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on the size of the chickens.

Remove chicken and allow to cool slightly, before shredding the meat. Strain stock twice and return to the stockpot.

Allow to cool, then skim off any remaining fat. (I use several paper towels which I swipe over the surface, which picks up the fat particles)

If you have the time, allow the stock to cool in the fridge, it makes removing the fat a whole lot easier, although a little fat does add a nice lusciousness to the soup. Thoroughly wash leeks, discarding the green tips, and julienne into 2 inch long strands.

In a frypan, saute the leeks, chilli, ginger and garlic until tender. Add to the stock.

After shredding the chicken meat, add to the stockpot containing the stock and add sherry & kecap manis and bring to a simmer. Taste & season to suit.

Allow to simmer gently and just before serving, add the chopped & washed stems of the tatsoi (similar to bok choy, but with a more yellow stem and small roundish leavesuse which ever asian greens you prefer)

Julienne the leaves of the greens.

Ladle into bowls and add the slivered greens and chopped parsley, in layers.

Chicken Soup - English Style

1.8kg free range chicken

1 lemon

1 onion

1 bay leaf knob of butter olive oil sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic – peeled and chopped

2 leeks, washed thoroughly and sliced

2 litres unsalted vegetable or chicken stock

2 carrots – cut into pieces

2 celery stalks some bay leaves small bunch of parsley white wine

2 sticks celery – chopped into very small pieces

1 large carrot – chopped into very small pieces

1 leek – cut into small rounds

2 large handfuls of freshly shelled peas small bunch of tarragon – finely chopped small bunch of flat leaf parsley – finely chopped small sourdough loaf – ripped into pieces

Pumpkin Soup

1 whole Jap or Butternut pumpkin/squash

2 large brown onions, finely diced

1 Spanish (red) onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 Tblsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tsp ground tumeric

2 Tblsp olive oil

1 Tblsp butter chicken stock/consommé ground black pepper grated fresh nutmeg

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the whole lemon, whole peeled onion and bay leaf. Rub the skin with some butter and a little olive oil.

Season and roast about 1 ½ hours at 180˚C FAN or 200˚C until cooked right through. Keep the roasting tray and juices to one side to be used later on.

For the soup:

Gently fry the red onion and the garlic in a large saucepan big enough to fit the whole chicken and liquid in.

Add the leeks.

Put in the whole cooked chicken once it is roasted – remove the lemon from the cavity before you do this.

Add 2 litres of stock – and make sure that the chicken is almost completely covered

Add the roughly chopped carrots and celery sticks

Add several bay leaves, the small bunch of parsley and a lug of white wine

Leave the soup to cook for around 4 hours – check the liquid doesn’t evaporate too much and if necessary add a little water.

When the soup is cooked:

Toss the sourdough chunks in the original roasting pan from the chicken and place it back in the oven for around 15 minutes at 180˚C fan/200˚C while you are finishing off the soup.

Heat a little oil in another large pan, gently fry and soften the remaining sticks of chopped celery, the carrot and the leek

Remove the chicken from the pan and strain the soup from into the softened vegetables

Add the fresh peas and allow to cook for a minute.

Shred some of the chicken meat (enough for as many portions as you need)

Serve the soup with the meat, tarragon, parsley and freshly grated parmesan – with the roasted pieces of sourdough bread on the side

Method

Place the halved, unpeeled, scored pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast at 150DegC for around 2 hours - or until cooked through - check with a skewer. Allow to cool completely.

Gently remove the seeds.

Scoop the flesh away from the skin and place into a bowl.

Heat a heavy casserole with 2 tblsp olive oil and 1 Tblsp butter then add the mustard seeds and heat gently until they start ‘popping’, then add both the brown and red onions and garlic and gently saute over low heat until transparent. Add tumeric and fry off over medium heat for 1 minute.

Add pumpkin flesh, a generous grinding of black pepper and add sufficient chicken stock/consommé (we prefer a thicker soup, so only used about 600ml) to cover.

Stir well to break up the pumpkin and blend with onions/garlic/spices. Simmer until thickened & ready to serve.

Blitz with a stick blender until desired consistency. Grate approx ½ tsp nutmeg into the soup.

Serve with drizzle of cream or dollop of sour cream & sprinkling of pepper and large, doorstop sized slabs of buttered sourdough.