Chicken Soup

INGREDIENTS

Whole Chicken

Butter

Olive Oil

Basil

Thyme

Rosemary

Parsley

Sage

Coriander

Bay leaves

Carrot

Celery

Onion

Leek

Potato

Lemon

Cream

INSTRUCTIONS

(Part 1 - Roasting the Chicken)

Pre heat the Oven to 180 degree’s.

Finely dice up the herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage, Thyme, Coriander, Basil)

Retain half of the herbs to finish the Soup.

To the other half, add a small splash of Olive Oil, season, and mix the herbs.

Take the Chicken and gently push your fingers down between the skin and breast meat opening up a cavity.

Season inside the Bird with salt and Pepper.

Spoon the herb mix into the opening between the skin and breast.

Take a few slices of butter and push those into the same cavity with the herbs.

Take a handful of Thyme, Rosemary, sage and a whole Lemon.

Prick the Lemon with a knife and push it into the cavity of the Chicken, along with the Herbs.

Tie the legs of the Chicken together with Butcher’s twine, drizzle with a touch of Olive Oil and season the outside of the Chicken.

Pop the Bird into a roasting tray with a wire rack and place in the oven for about 45 minutes per Kilo at 180 degrees.

Remove the Chicken once perfectly roasted and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes on the wire rack.

(Part 2 - Making the Stock)

Strip the meat from the Chicken and place the carcass in a large saucepan.

Cut in half, 2 Carrot’s, 2 Onion’s, 2 bulb’s of Garlic and 2-3 stick’s of celery, and place them in the pot.

Fill up the saucepan with water, then tie up a bunch of herbs with Butchers twine and and place in the pot along with 2 Bay leave’s.

Fill the pan with Water, so it covers the ingredients, and bring to a simmer.

Leave the stock to simmer for around 2 hours.

Pass the stock through a sieve.

(Part 3 - Cooking the Soup)

Dice up 1 large Carrot, 1 stick of celery, and a large Onion into small cubes, and place in a bowl.

Then, dice up 1 large Leek, around the same size, and place in another bowl, next, do the same with a large Potato.

Add Olive Oil to a Dutch oven and pop in the Carrot, Onion and Celery.

Roast these off for around 7 minutes before adding the Leek and cooking down for another 7-10 minutes, until the Leeks have reduced by half.

Next, add the Potato and Chicken meat, then pour in the stock to cover the ingredients.

Add 2 bay leaves, bring to the boil, then reduce to a good simmer.

Cook the Soup for around 40 minutes.

Once done, add a good handful off the Herb mix from the roasting, and stir through.

Remove the Bay leaves, and serve the Soup with a small drizzle of Cream, extra virgin Olive Oil and another little sprinkle of herbs.

Enjoy