Rachel Allen - Home Cooking

2Increase the heat a little and simmer for about 15 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add the pasta shapes and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.

3Remove from the heat and stir in the basil (if using). Check the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or sugar if necessary, and ladle into warm bowls.

Ideal for a light lunch, this is a quick and easy meal in a bowl — something the whole family will enjoy. Use leftover chicken or even the leftover Christmas turkey, adding it to the soup later in the method, as described below.

25g (1oz) butter

200g (7oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 2cm (¾in) cubes

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

3–4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

600ml (1 pint) chicken stock (see page 326)

125ml (4½fl oz) milk

125ml (4½fl oz) single or regular cream

1 × 340g tin of sweetcorn, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

1 spring onion, trimmed and finely chopped

Squeeze of lemon juice

1Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat and add the chicken, onion and garlic. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken and onion start turning light golden around the edges. If you are using pre-cooked chicken, just cook the onion and garlic and then add the meat.

2Place the stock, milk, cream and sweetcorn in a blender, season with salt and pepper and whiz for a few seconds to a rough purée. Alternatively, place in a large bowl and blitz with a hand-held blender. Pour the purée over the cooked chicken and onion mixture and bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes.

3Stir in the parsley and spring onion and squeeze in a little lemon juice to taste. Check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary, and serve the soup immediately.

The rich wintry flavours of this soup are made even more delicious with a drizzle of parsley pesto.

1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil

4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, diced

25g (1oz) butter

l onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 large leek, trimmed and diced

500g (1lb 2oz) potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken or vegetable stock (see page 326)

15g (½oz) flat-leaf parsley

1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted (see tip on page 50)

1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1Add the oil to a large saucepan on a high heat and sauté the bacon pieces quickly for about 1 minute or until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

2Reduce the heat a little and add the butter to the oil in the pan. When it has melted, add the onion, leek and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 8–10 minutes without browning. Pour the stock over and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are completely cooked through.

3Meanwhile, make the parsley pesto. Discard the stalks from the parsley and place in a bowl with the garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil. Using a hand-held blender, purée to a fairly smooth paste, adding a little more oil if necessary so that it is a thick but drizzling consistency. Alternatively, crush the parsley, garlic and pine nuts using a pestle and mortar and stir in the Parmesan and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

4Purée the soup until smooth in a blender or using a hand-held blender. Return to the pan and stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon pieces. Check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary, and heat for a minute more before serving.

5Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Drizzle over the parsley pesto and scatter the remaining bacon pieces on top.

Use the leek trimmings and parsley stalks for making a delicious stock (see stock recipes on page 326).

This is the kind of simple salad that so many little brasseries in Paris have on their menus. In France the goat’s cheese served for this dish is usually the type with a rind, but you can also use a soft goat’s cheese for this salad. Make sure the walnuts are good and fresh; if stored for too long they can become bitter and rancid.

2 slices of white bread or 4–6 baguette slices

1 × 150g mini goat’s cheese log, cut into twelve 1cm (½in) slices

4 shelled walnuts, roughly chopped

2 handfuls (about 50g/2oz) of salad leaves

2 tbsp walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp runny honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1Preheat the grill to high and lightly toast the bread on both sides. Arrange the goat’s cheese slices on top to cover evenly. Return to the grill for a few minutes until just molten.

2Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes until just turning brown, then remove. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. (This will keep in the fridge for a week or two.) Dress the salad leaves with enough dressing to just lightly coat.

3Place the dressed salad in the centre of two plates and arrange the goat’s cheese toast on top or to the side. Sprinkle over the toasted walnuts and serve.

Cranberry sauce:For a change, mix together equal quantities of cranberry sauce and boiling water (l teaspoon of each per person) and drizzle over the goat’s cheese toast before serving.

Laksa is an Southeast Asian dish consisting of noodles either in a coconut-based curry soup (as here) or in a ‘sour’ fish-based soup. The vegetables add a bit of crunch, so it’s important that they remain as fresh-tasting as possible and are not overcooked. For a completely vegetarian dish, substitute the fish sauce with soy sauce.

150g (5oz) fine rice noodles

2 red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2.5cm (lin) piece of root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 stick of lemongrass, outer leaves removed, roughly chopped

50g (2oz) coriander, leaves and stalks torn

Juice of 1–2 limes

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 × 400ml tins of coconut milk

700ml (1¼ pints) vegetable stock (see page 326)

1–2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce

250g (9oz) sugar snap peas, halved lengthways

150g (5oz) beansprouts

8 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced at an angle

1Place the noodles in a large bowl, pour over boiling water to cover, so that it comes up to about 2.5cm (1in) above the noodles, and leave to soak for 3–4 minutes or until soft. Drain well.

2Meanwhile, place the chillies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, coriander (reserving a few leaves for scattering over the dish) and juice of one of the limes in a food processor (or use a pestle and mortar) and blend to a paste. Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and fry the chilli paste for 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, stock and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce or soy sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.