Don't worry this blog isn't about anything sinister.
This blog is about a TV series that I managed to become a contributor on, well I and many other passionate home cooks. Eating with the Enemy is the title of a TV series that will hit BBC2 some time in the early new year. Think of it as a cross between masterchef for home cooks and dragons den. So how did it begin...
In May Good Food magazine published an article asking for passionate home cooks (remember, not chefs, but good wholesome cooks) to apply to be part of a TV series - how could I refuse. So I and approximate 1000 others put pen to paper (well, keyboard and mouse to screen actually) and gave it a whirl. Result was an opportunity to meet James Martin at our houses, have some mentoring and advice and cook our little backsides off in a studio in London. This all took place over the Summer, and filming finished at the end of July.
The programme commenced with home-filming (oh my lord, what a nightmare) - that involved our houses being taken over with lighting equipment, wires and commands to stand still, smile, stir, taste, etc. etc. Those of us who got through this stage then went onto the regional quarter-finals in london, that would be followed by semi-finals and finals. In the studio we had to cook a range of dishes for the critics (here comes the dragons den bit), namely Charles Campion, Toby Young, Jay Rayner and Kate Spicer. The food was whisked away and we nervously had to wait by for the verdict, and let me tell you, they weren't always kind! As if it wasn't nerve-wracking enough to walk along a dark spotlit catwalk towards the critics, then to hear some of their comments and literary onsloughts - phew. Of course, I can't tell you anything more about the programme, but would recommend that you keep an eye on your TV guide for this one - there are some great recipes, great people, some interesting characters and the 0dd culinary slip-up. As for me, well my lips are sealed, obviously......but if I were you I'd set your sky+ for this one.
See you again
Cath
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Friday, 7 September 2007
chicken soup - is it good for the soul?
As the weather wasn't particularly sparkling at the weekend (well sunday at least), and feeling in a bit of a fanny craddock sort of mood, I decided to dig out a recipe for chicken soup. Now, before you think so what, I don't mean the thin, smooth chicken soup that we often enjoy...oh no...this was gut-busting, full of lentils and barley, home made stock, chicken and most of all, lots of vegetables.
This was a recipe that my Dad used to make when I was a child (except I've just found out from mum that he added single cream to the dish). So as I enjoyed the dish so much, I thought I'd share it with you all. Let me know what you think...and most ofall, trust me on the curry powder addition to the recipe - it works.
Cath
Dad's chicken soup
This recipe is probably not much more different than any other chicken soup recipe of the 1970s. The key elements to this dish are the delightful ‘use everything’ strategy that held up so well back then; along with a household desire to have things in soak…be it mushy peas with the little bicarbonate of soda tablets, soup broth or lentils. Funnily enough I still like to have dried peas or beans quietly soaking over night – giving me time to decide what delights I can make with them.
My Dad’s chicken soup usually followed on from a roast chicken – thereby giving us one of the basic ingredients for this dish, good old proper ‘boil the bones’ type stock. It was a great way of eeking out a roast chicken from Sunday, into the middle of the week.
This recipe makes a thick, luscious soup that just takes like good, old fashioned home cooking. Yes, it does take time to make, but if whenever your roast a chicken you make the stock automatically, then it can be safely stored in the freezer. Sorry Dad, but I’ve added a small amount of curry powder, hope you don’t mind.
My Dad's Chicken Soup
Ingredients (Makes 4 large servings)
For the Stock
1 carcass from approx 1.5-2kg roast chicken, free range or organic if possible as the taste is so much better.
4 sticks celery –roughly chopped
1 carrot – roughly chopped
1 onion – roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic – smashed and unpeeled
2 bay leaves – if possible try using fresh bay
1.5 litres water
Ground white pepper
Sprig fresh herbs (try tarragon or rosemary)
1 large slice of lemon, rind and peel removed
Zest of one lemon
For the Soup
2 large carrots chopped in small 1cm dices
1 bay leaf
750g dried broth mix (contains red lentils, peas, barley) – soaked overnight as per instructions on packet.
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon mild curry powder (trust me, this gives it a lovely warm and mellow taste)
1 small onion or half a large onion finely chopped
2 sticks celery – chopped in small 1cm dices
1 small turnip or swede in small 1cm dices
Approx 200g chopped chicken from the roast chicken
Method
To make the stock
1 First of all don’t panic – making stock is much easier than some recipe books suggest.
2 In a large pan or stock pot, gently saut̩ the carrots, onion, celery and garlic for about 10 minutes until they gently brown Рthis will add more flavour to the stock.
3 Strip the chicken carcass from the meat, leaving some small bits on the carcass, place in the large pan or stock pot with the sautéed vegetables.
4 Add the bay leaf, a pinch of pepper and herbs. Woody herbs like rosemary cope well with being simmered for stock and release a lovely flavour.
5 Add the water and lemon and bring to the boil.
6 Simmer the stock rapidly for approximately 50-60 minutes – removing impurities from the top of the stock as it simmers.
7 Use a fine sieve to strain the stock and reserve. Allow to cool and the stock will thicken to a jelly-like consistency. – when cooled, if a thin layer of fat has congealed on the top of the stock, remove with a teaspoon.
To make the soup (The day before)
8 Following the instructions on your broth mix, soak overnight or for at least 8 hours in unsalted water, rinse thoroughly and set aside.
9 Put the soaked broth mix and the bay leaf in a large pan.
10 Add the chicken stock and stir well, and a further half a litre of cold water to make the liquid back up to 1.5 litres.
11 Bring to the boil and allow to boil rapidly for 10 minutes.
12 Reduce the heat, add the tomato puree and curry powder and simmer for approximately 40 minutes.
13 Saute the celery, onion, carrots and swede or turnip for 2 minutes.
14 Add the vegetables to the soup mix and simmer for 20 minutes or until the broth mix and the vegetables are cooked.
15 Finally, add the chopped chicken and season to taste – make sure the chicken is thoroughly warmed through.
Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread.
Tips – if you can’t make chicken stock from scratch you can still make this soup using chicken stock cubes, and it will taste fine, but the home made stock tastes much better.
Depending on your chicken and its ability to give up its flavour in making the stock you may have to supplement your soup flavour with half a stock cube, but I’d tend to go for vegetable as chicken stock cubes can be a little salty.
The mild curry powder not only gives the soup a lovely golden colour, but also adds a warmth to the flavour – in fact most people wouldn’t guess the soup contained curry at all.
If you’d like your soup during spring or summer time, then add the zest of a whole lemon and a good squeeze of lemon juice just before serving, it makes the soup appear much lighter and fresher.
This was a recipe that my Dad used to make when I was a child (except I've just found out from mum that he added single cream to the dish). So as I enjoyed the dish so much, I thought I'd share it with you all. Let me know what you think...and most ofall, trust me on the curry powder addition to the recipe - it works.
Cath
Dad's chicken soup
This recipe is probably not much more different than any other chicken soup recipe of the 1970s. The key elements to this dish are the delightful ‘use everything’ strategy that held up so well back then; along with a household desire to have things in soak…be it mushy peas with the little bicarbonate of soda tablets, soup broth or lentils. Funnily enough I still like to have dried peas or beans quietly soaking over night – giving me time to decide what delights I can make with them.
My Dad’s chicken soup usually followed on from a roast chicken – thereby giving us one of the basic ingredients for this dish, good old proper ‘boil the bones’ type stock. It was a great way of eeking out a roast chicken from Sunday, into the middle of the week.
This recipe makes a thick, luscious soup that just takes like good, old fashioned home cooking. Yes, it does take time to make, but if whenever your roast a chicken you make the stock automatically, then it can be safely stored in the freezer. Sorry Dad, but I’ve added a small amount of curry powder, hope you don’t mind.
My Dad's Chicken Soup
Ingredients (Makes 4 large servings)
For the Stock
1 carcass from approx 1.5-2kg roast chicken, free range or organic if possible as the taste is so much better.
4 sticks celery –roughly chopped
1 carrot – roughly chopped
1 onion – roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic – smashed and unpeeled
2 bay leaves – if possible try using fresh bay
1.5 litres water
Ground white pepper
Sprig fresh herbs (try tarragon or rosemary)
1 large slice of lemon, rind and peel removed
Zest of one lemon
For the Soup
2 large carrots chopped in small 1cm dices
1 bay leaf
750g dried broth mix (contains red lentils, peas, barley) – soaked overnight as per instructions on packet.
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon mild curry powder (trust me, this gives it a lovely warm and mellow taste)
1 small onion or half a large onion finely chopped
2 sticks celery – chopped in small 1cm dices
1 small turnip or swede in small 1cm dices
Approx 200g chopped chicken from the roast chicken
Method
To make the stock
1 First of all don’t panic – making stock is much easier than some recipe books suggest.
2 In a large pan or stock pot, gently saut̩ the carrots, onion, celery and garlic for about 10 minutes until they gently brown Рthis will add more flavour to the stock.
3 Strip the chicken carcass from the meat, leaving some small bits on the carcass, place in the large pan or stock pot with the sautéed vegetables.
4 Add the bay leaf, a pinch of pepper and herbs. Woody herbs like rosemary cope well with being simmered for stock and release a lovely flavour.
5 Add the water and lemon and bring to the boil.
6 Simmer the stock rapidly for approximately 50-60 minutes – removing impurities from the top of the stock as it simmers.
7 Use a fine sieve to strain the stock and reserve. Allow to cool and the stock will thicken to a jelly-like consistency. – when cooled, if a thin layer of fat has congealed on the top of the stock, remove with a teaspoon.
To make the soup (The day before)
8 Following the instructions on your broth mix, soak overnight or for at least 8 hours in unsalted water, rinse thoroughly and set aside.
9 Put the soaked broth mix and the bay leaf in a large pan.
10 Add the chicken stock and stir well, and a further half a litre of cold water to make the liquid back up to 1.5 litres.
11 Bring to the boil and allow to boil rapidly for 10 minutes.
12 Reduce the heat, add the tomato puree and curry powder and simmer for approximately 40 minutes.
13 Saute the celery, onion, carrots and swede or turnip for 2 minutes.
14 Add the vegetables to the soup mix and simmer for 20 minutes or until the broth mix and the vegetables are cooked.
15 Finally, add the chopped chicken and season to taste – make sure the chicken is thoroughly warmed through.
Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread.
Tips – if you can’t make chicken stock from scratch you can still make this soup using chicken stock cubes, and it will taste fine, but the home made stock tastes much better.
Depending on your chicken and its ability to give up its flavour in making the stock you may have to supplement your soup flavour with half a stock cube, but I’d tend to go for vegetable as chicken stock cubes can be a little salty.
The mild curry powder not only gives the soup a lovely golden colour, but also adds a warmth to the flavour – in fact most people wouldn’t guess the soup contained curry at all.
If you’d like your soup during spring or summer time, then add the zest of a whole lemon and a good squeeze of lemon juice just before serving, it makes the soup appear much lighter and fresher.
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