You will need.........
1 chicken carcass, including all the saved bones etc.
1 medium sized tin of sweetcorn.
2 or 3 spring onions. (Optional)
A few finely chopped mushrooms. (Optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste.
2 teaspoons of cornflour.
1 large egg. (Optional)
The amounts, and ingredients, needed will vary according to your taste.
Method:
Put everything left over from your cooked and finished chicken into a stock pot. DO NOT include any stuffing mixture within the chicken carcass but DO include the carcass, leg and wing bones and any skin. Crush the carcass down a bit so that it doesn't take up too much space in the stock pot.
Cover everything with water, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer, keeping the lid on the stock pot. If the water level falls then add some more water to keep all the bones covered. Simmer for about an hour and a half.
Tip everything out of the stockpot through a seive into a large saucepan. Go through all the bones etc. within the sieve, taking off any meat and putting it into the saucepan with the stock.
Allow everything in the saucepan to cool right down, preferably overnight, and in the morning scrape off any fat off the top. What is left in the stock pot is the chicken gelatine and the basis of the soup. If this is very jelly-like add a cup or two of water for it should not be too solid.
About one hour before this soup is due to be served add the salt and pepper, and the drained tin of sweetcorn. Also can be added here are the mushrooms and spring onions.
Simmer on a low light for one hour. Mix the cornflour with a little water to make a runny paste and stir into the soup briskly to avoid any lumps forming. This will thicken the soup somewhat and will allow the added vegetable to disperse within the soup and not sink to the bottom. Bring back to simmer for a short while to allow the cornflour to cook.
Optional extra: A few minutes before serving break the egg and drop it into the soup whilst stirring VERY briskly until you can see the white stands of the egg having been cooked.
Serve immediately, with some chopped parsley or croutons on the top. This dish is very filling and really tasty. Mmmmm!!!
The remaining soup can be put into flat plastic take-away trays (as single portions) and left to cool down before freezing. To cook again add a small amount of water to the frozen soup in a saucepan and simmer gently with the lid on until the soup has completely melted, stirring from time to time. Bring up to a boil for a few minutes before serving again as above.
This chicken and sweetcorn soup can be converted to a chinese style soup by adding
an egg at the end - I'll tell you how later - but initially it is made from a
genuine chicken stock. Added ingredients can include chopped spring onions and
finely chopped mushrooms to make a delectable and fine tasting soup.
Free-range chickens present a better tasting soup!
Follow the instructions carefully for a sumptuous soup for FOUR people!
