Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

So Soothing: Chili Chicken and Sweetcorn soup

I had one of those fabulous sessions at Borough Market this week.  Sometimes being at the market is too exciting and I have to force myself not to buy everything that grabs my fancy.

I picked up some  mutton chops from Sillfield Farm, 'hung for 2 weeks' Peter proudly told me of his own Herdwicks.    Chatting to the traders and producers and hearing about their news.  The owner of my favourite tea, Ceylon 1 who blend an Earl Grey like no other;  was so proud to tell me the new crop is the best yet.  Last year the rain had been just the perfect amount for tea leaves.  So my favourite tea is about to get better, I can hardly believe it possible.  

This is the essence of markets and it's this that makes me love the market like I do; the interaction and connection to the product through real and actual stories of the right rainfall, or not enough, or too much, or the increase in cost of pig feed.  This is what brings another dimension to the ingredients.  Having an ongoing relationship with your butcher, baker and candlestick maker does indeed make the world go round in a more satisfying way than going to the one dimensional, 'one size fits all' supermarkets.

So this recipe here is a product of the fabulous chicken stock I made from chicken carcasses from The Ginger Pig at 25p each.  Because stocks are the real essence of flavour, I sometimes start with the question 'what will go with the stock?'  At today's farmers market (Alexander Palace) I saw some beautiful husks of sweetcorn from another of my favourite, Perry Court Farm in Kent. 

Chili,chicken and sweetcorn soup is coming  up.  This soup is SOOOOOOOOO comforting and the colour is bright and happy.  I  am sure that anything with chicken stock in is  automatically life affirming. I chose  to use shallots rather than  onions as they are  more  delicate than onions and I was compulsively obliged to buy them when I saw them this morning.  

This serves 2/3, so simply multiply up accordingly.

• 1 litre of chicken stock either home made or a good quality stock cube
• 3 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red chili
• 2 corn cobs
• 1 large potato peeled and cubed
• Seasoning
• 2 spring onions finely sliced
• Olive oil

1. Saute the chopped shallots in olive oil for 5 minutes
2. Add the garlic and chopped red chili and saute for 1 minute
3. Cut the corn kernals from the cob and add to the pot with chopped potato
4. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil.  
5. Season
6. Simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Blitz
8. Garnish with sliced spring onions.