Chicken soup

Stock ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 3.5lbs
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1 carrot, cut into chunks
• 2 ribs celery, cut into chunks, complete with leaves 
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Soup ingredients

• 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 6 green onions (scallions, spring onions, whatever...) thinly sliced including the greens
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 6 cups stock
• 1 cup frozen peas
• chicken breast from the chicken used to make the stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and black pepper to taste

First make the stock: in a large Dutch oven place the chicken broth ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for an hour. Remove the chicken and then strain 6 cups of the stock into a jug or other suitable container. When the stock has cooled skim any excess fat from the top. This can be made easier by placing the stock into the fridge to cool faster.

Now for the soup itself: again using a large Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the shallot, celery and carrot for around 6 minutes. Add the green onion and briefly saute for a minute or so. Next stir in the flour until well blended. Add the 6 cups of chicken stock and bring up to a good simmer. Cook until vegetables are very tender, around 10 minutes or so. Add frozen peas and chicken breast (diced or shredded as you prefer) and cook a further 5 minutes. Finally stir in the heavy cream and add salt and pepper to taste.