Categories: cooking-and-recipes
Date: 13 October 2008 22:17:52
Splutter.
Anyway, have just cooked this up, possibly in the spirit of "that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger." A word of warning - I really do have a stinker of a cold. If you're making this and don't have a cold, you may want to crank the seasoning (especially the chillies) down a bit, as I'd hate to be responsible for blowing the top of your head off. Anyway, it's full of vegetables and things with antiseptic properties and vitamins and good stuff. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice might be good at the end, as well.
Chicken Soup
Olive oil
4 chicken thighs
Some diced pancetta - having just checked, I used half a 200g pack
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
1 pepper, de-seeded and diced. I used a yellow one, but whatever.
Fresh ginger - um, a lump about the size of my thumb.
2 fat red chillies (you might want to only use one).
Garlic - I used about 4 cloves in the end
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 pints chicken stock
3 oz each frozen sweetcorn and peas (it was supposed to be 7oz frozen sweetcorn, but I only had 3 ounces. Ooops).
You'll need a large pan - I half-filled my 5 litre one, and made enough for probably 4 bowls of soup. But it's easier to wash a half-used pan than to clean boiled-over soup off the cooker, especially if you have a dishwasher. Have I mentioned I have a dishwasher, and how much I love it? I have? Good good.
Chop the chillies, garlic and ginger really finely. I cheated like a rotten, low-down cheaty thing and used a mini food processor.
Brown the chicken thighs and pancetta on both sides in the oil. About 20 minutes in total, I guess - make sure to brown both sides of the chicken thighs. Add the diced vegetables, garlic, ginger and chillies, and soften for a further 10 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds and season well with pepper and salt.
Turn the heat up, then add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, put a lid on and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through. Take the lid off, add the frozen sweetcorn and peas, and simmer for a further 3 minutes until the corn and peas are cooked. Strip the chicken meat from the bones and return it to the pan, stir well and serve.
Follow with a hot toddy.
Go to bed.