Chicken soup

Henrietta Green

Take the carcass, crush it with the flattened blade of a heavy knife and put in a pan with 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 leeks all roughly peeled and chopped, a stick of celery, a bay leaf, a couple of peppercorns and sprigs of parsley and thyme.

Cover with at least one litre of water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for at least one hour – longer if you want
a deeper flavour.

Strain, get rid of the bones but keep the vegetables and return to the pan with the stock.

Throw in a handful of lentils, bring to the boil and cook until soft. Just before serving, season and toss in some chopped parsley for colour and flavour.