Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 chicken carcase
1 bay leaf (optional)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
450g abledo carrots, peeled and sliced
1 leek, cleaned and sliced
1.2 litres chicken stock
75g pearl barley
175g cooked chicken, broken into bite-size chunks
175g cooked potatoes, chopped
100g cooked vegetables such as peas, broccoli, or green beans
Pick all the chicken that you can off a chicken carcase and set aside. Place the chicken bones and skin in a large pan, cover with about 2.4 litres of water, add the bay leaf if you like, then bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to extract all the goodness from the bones, then remove the lid and simmer for a further 40 minutes or so or until the liquid has reduced by half. Strain to remove the bones then leave to stand for five minutes. Use a spoon to skim off any excess fat that has risen to the surface of the stock. It is now ready to use but can be stored in the fridge for up to four days or frozen for up to six months. Tip To save time you can always make the chicken stock with a cube or concentrate.
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the carrots and leek, then sauté over a medium heat for four minutes. Add the stock, pearl barley, chicken and potatoes and season well. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the pearl barley and carrots are tender. Stir in the cooked vegetables, return to the boil and simmer for one minute. Season to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve, garnished with carrot leaves.
You could sup a modern, vibrant white like a South African sauvignon with this. But a satisfyingly old-school, warming broth has me yearning for something from the same ilk – here supplied by this nutty, yeasty, complex fino.