Chicken... it doesn't have to be boring!

Mmm... chicken...

 I have written before in this blog about leftovers, how TV Chefs manage to pull all sorts of wonderful leftover ingredients out of their store cupboards.  However one thing that will always be leftover in my house is some roast chicken.  Mostly because there is only three of us.  I am not suggesting that if you have a bigger household that this will be the case.  If that is so Asda, and  I am sure other supermarkets do a bag of frozen chicken pieces (legs and thighs) that are reasonably cheap.  Roast these up and add the pieces to the soup. 

I love roast Chicken.  It enjoy it on the day with crispy potatoes and onions, the day after in a soup or in lots of other recipes, the possibilities are endless. 

Get yourself a nice big fat chicken.  I am not going to go into the benefits of an organic bird simply because that isn't going to fit into everyone's budgets.  Especially not mine.  

This isn't a recipe as such because it is so so simple.  Put your bird onto a deep roasting tray rub with olive oil and season.  I use sea salt and black pepper.  Slice a head of garlic (you can use to roasted garlic for the base of a chicken soup, yummy!) and a lemon and stick it in the carcass.  Peel and prepare enough potatoes and onions to fit around the bird.  Cover them in olive oil, coating all of them and scatter them around the chicken.  Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour.  Then remove your foil and roast until brown and crispy.  Normally 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Again this depends on the size of your bird.  

I think there is nothing nicer than crispy chicken skin.  It is delicious.  Serve your roast chicken and veg with some greens of your choice.  I am a fan of steamed broccoli.  I also love peas with chicken.  


The next day... 

Hehehe weird Carrot!

Chicken Soup 

Ingredients

Chicken carcass plus meat from thighs, legs and wings etc.
3 stock or bullion cubes
1tbsp olive oil
Garlic left over from roast (optional)
Big handful of parsley
1 small onion
1 leek
2 large carrots

Method

1.  Get your big pot on the stove and place your carcass in, pour over 1 1/2 litres of stock made from your cubes and boiling water.  Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.  
2.  Remove from the heat and remove the chicken carcass and discard, it's given all it can, poor thing.
3.  Chop and prepare all your veg and chicken so it's ready to chuck in.
4.  Fry the onion in the oil until soft and glossy, add the garlic stir and then add the leeks and carrots.  
5.  When your veg has softened slightly throw in the chicken.  Then add your stock and finally the parsley.
6.  The last step is down to personal preference.  I add maybe a bit of pepper and that's it.  However if you want you can add dumplings.

This is a great recipe to know as your lovely chicken won't go to waste.  Chicken soup is the best thing to be able to pull out of the bag when the weather is pants or you want something homely and easy on the pocket and the belly.  I had it on Sunday with some soda bread I had made (recipe below).  

I threw some potatoes into this one.