I’m not sure how much stock I ended up using exactly, it all depends on how consentrated your stock is too begin with. I like to reduce my stocks by quite a lot as it makes for easier storage and you can make the stock as strong as you like depending on what your making.

Next time I make chicken stock I’m going to use a method to get crystal clear stock that I saw Heston Blumenthal use on ‘In Search Of Perfection’. You make the stock as you normally would, add a little gelatin to the liquid and freeze it. Once it’s completely frozen you take it out of the freezer place it in a colander and allow it to melt through a muslin cloth or a filter-coffee paper. It works because the gelatin molecules cross-link and in effect create a “filter” that traps particles. When you freeze a gelatin gel and defrost it, it will weep liquid. This is called “syneresis”. Right…..

Chicken & Sweet Corn Soup

For the stock

1 whole chicken
1 whole onion (washed & skin left on), quartered
2 whole carrots (washed & unpeeled), cut in half
3 stalks celery (with leaves), cut in quarters
1 whole head of garlic (washed & unpeeled), cut in half
A small handful of whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon of kosher salt (or more depending on taste)
A handful of parsley

Add all of the ingredients with enough water to cover the chicken into a large stockpot & simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the chicken & transfer to a chopping board to cool.

Remove the all the meat.

Add the remaining bones, carcass etc… back in the pot & simmer the stock for an additional 2 hours.

Strain all of the contents of the pot through a fine mesh strainer, saving the stock & discarding everything else.

Skim the fat off the surface (this is easier to do when cool).

Let the stock cool to room temperature & refrigerate, or freeze until ready to use.

For the soup

1L chicken stock

Chicken meat (above), shredded

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon ginger, finely grated

2 tablespoons cornflour, disolved in 1/4 cup water

1 x 420g can creamed corn

1 x 300g can corn kernels, drained

100g shaved ham, shredded

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

6 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Place the stock, soy sauce and ginger in a large saucepan over a low heat.

Add the cornflour mixture, stirring until the stock thinkens slightly, 2 minutes or until hot.

Pour the egg whites gradually into the soup, stirring for 2 minutes or until white ribbons swirl though the soup.

Remove from heat, and add half the spring onions and sesame oil.

Serve with the remaining spring onions spinkled on top.