Nigella Lawson's Cream of Chicken Soup

In theory, at least, I prefer meatier chunkier soups (preferably with pasta in, too) but when I need soothing rather than bolstering, this nostalgic chicken soup is unparalleled.

I use those spindly little dwarf - or baby - leeks (speciality of the sprauncier supermarkets), but ordinary, still slender, leeks, just very finely sliced, would do. In either case, discard most of the green part: you want this creamily white, not a pale, lurid lime green. I happily use my Italian chicken stock cubes here: half of one in 300ml water will be fine.

Serves 1-2
Contains Dairy, Gluten

Ingredients


• 45g butter
• 200g dwarf leeks, sliced very finely
• 300ml chicken stock
• 300ml full-fat milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 free-ranged chicken breast fillet
• 1 tbsp flour, preferably Italian 00
• pinch ground mace
• 3-4 tbsp double cream
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions


1. Put 30g butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan, melt it and in it cook the leeks gently until soft.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, put the stock and milk in a saucepan with the bay leaves, clove of garlic and chicken breast. Bring up to the boil, then turn down to simmer and cook until the chicken breast is just tender. I know it sounds not very long; but another 5 minutes should do it.
   
   
3. A couple or so minutes before the chicken is ready, the leeks should be soft and cooked enough. Into the leek mixture stir 1 tbsp of flour and cook on a low heat, stirring, for a couple of minutes.
   
   
4. By this time the chicken should be ready to come out, so remove it and pour the milk and stock with the bay leaves and garlic into the floury leeks, stirring while you do so.
   
   
5. Bring up to the boil, stirring occasionally. While you're not stirring, shred or finely chop the chicken and add to the pan.
   
   
6. Add a pinch of salt and keep cooking over a lowish heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
   
   
7. Add 15g butter and cook in the same way for another 5 minutes. If it looks as if it's getting too thick and white-saucey, just add a glug of full-fat milk or as much as you feel you need.
   
   
8. Pour into a blender in batches of about 10cm of liquid and whizz and then push through a fine sieve, back into the rinsed-out saucepan.
   
   
9. Put back on the heat, stirring until warm enough to eat. Mix the egg yolk and double cream together and, off the heat, stir into the soup.

Copyright Nigella Lawson

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