YES CHEF IS OUR SERIES WHERE WE SIT DOWN WITH A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM FOR A 5 MINUTE CHAT ABOUT THEIR FAVOURITE RECIPE OF THE MOMENT.
Lucy is our Development Chef, working closely with new brands to develop their menu and also to continue finessing the food offering we serve currently. At home she likes hosting parties and walking the streets of London looking for inspiration.
Healing Chicken Broth
When to eat:
In the winter and colder months for one, or when you want to eat something clean, tasty and light. This is actually also perfect for when you are feeling under the weather or hungover!
Serves:
4 large portions
OR 2 dinners and 2 lunches for the next day
Where does this recipe come from:
So it continues to change over time and can really be adapted to whatever your palate wants or what you have in the fridge. Ultimately, it was born from a dish my brother in law introduced me to (which in itself is so delicious). His mother is from the Phillipines and it was described to me as their version of a roast. I love an English roast and with that, I love my gravy my way, but this gravy sang to me and I took so much pleasure in making it. It almost like a ritual on a Sunday in winter.
Being a chef, I obviously wanted to develop it. You really can play around with the ingredients so my advice is not to be bound to the list but look at it and think to yourself, "what other flavours do I enjoy?" Sometimes I add toasted star anise and black clove, lemon grass, miso, soy or black vinegar.
What you will need:
A stewing pot - think deep sides. I use a cast iron casserole dish but I'm just that b*tch.
A pan to cook the rice
Chef Knife
Chopping board
Probably some other things but i'll figure that out as I write it out.
Ingredients
2 x large bunches of Spring Onion
2 x White Onions
5 x sprigs of Fresh Thyme
2 x bulbs of Garlic
1 x Scotch Bonnet
3 x Red Thai Chillies (obvs you can adjust spice level)
White Wine
Fish Sauce
Coriander
Curly Parsley (screw flat parsley)
Sesame Oil
Fermented Soya Bean Paste (you literally can get this in Sainsburys)
Good quality Chicken Stock (I like the spring chicken bone broth or look for one that is literally just chicken/ chicken fat and thyme. Don't get the one with loads of vegetables as I know you won't be making your own)
Fresh ginger (like a lot. I'm talking 100g's)
Salt (good quality only!)
Chicken Thighs with the bone in and skin on
Any vegetables you want...but I go for:
Spring Greens
Bamboo Shoots
Water Chestnuts
Baby Corn
Green Beans
Leeks
Just do what feels right x
Method
Add a good glug of sesame oil in the pan and then heat gently. Roughly chop your spring onions into about 3cms long pieces and then get them in the pan and sweat with the thyme sprigs. Again, roughly chop your white onion (you want it to be kinda chunky). Then finely slice your ginger and don't bother peeling it, you're going to cook it for ages and it will be so delicious you wont even notice the skin. Also, HEALTH BENEFITS!! Add it all in.
Your pan is too hot if it's giving that really aggressive hissing noise, you don't want your pan too hot otherwise you will burn the garlic and then it's game over.
Peel your garlic and crush it, that's it. No dicing and no grating after peeling so the smash and dash technique will be a welcome solace. Smash the red thai chillis and then finely slice them. Now all those go in the pan and stir. You'll probably need to add more oil because who even knows what a glug is!
Ok, now we are getting serious. It's really important to bring the oils out of these ingredients so stir every few minutes until you see it all start to soften. Have a scroll through instagram, drink some water, anything really just wait till it's nice and soft. Smell her, is she fragrant? There should be steam coming off the pan but still only at a gentle pace.
Now get that wine and think like Keith Floyd - I would highly recommend watching his cooking shows. Increase the temperature when it's giving off the big hiss and throw that wine in. Cook off the alcohol and bring it straight back down, making sure to NOT BURN THE GARLIC. Add a good table spoon of the soybean paste and mix well.
Add your chicken stock in, I add about 2 litres of the bone broth and about 1 pint of water. Turn the heat up until it starts to bubble softly not like a Jacuzzi. Let her do that for 10 mins then I bring mine down so it's steeping, like a warm relaxing bath for my veggies to flavour.
Now go watch an episode of your favourite TV show as the longer you leave it, the more the flavour will develop. About 40mins before you want to eat it, drop the chicken thighs in but don't increase the temperature. If you don't like soggy skin on the chicken, peel it off before you eat it and get a grip. Your chicken skin has loads of flavour.
We are getting impatient at this point right? NO. Relax! This is like the Sunday sesh where your broth is doing it's thing, you're doing your washing, watching tv whilst she's just out there getting tasty. Check your chicken is cooked by poking a knife in. The broth should have steam coming off - keep thinking hot bath. Cook your rice for the base of the broth and then literally 10 mins before you are about to serve, add your vegetables minus the coriander and parsley. I go for a chunky cut so they don't go soggy the next day.
Add a couple dashes of fish sauce and salt. Taste it and adjust for your liking. Dish up and garnish with coriander and parley.
YOU'RE WELCOME.
