After yesterdays heart warming and stomach filling roast chicken I am definitely in the mood for something lighter and have decided to make a nourishing soup with the chicken carcass and whatever I have left in the fridge which generally turns out rather well. I took off all the remaining meat from the bird which will be used in sandwiches, pasta or perhaps even a pie filling during the week and then placed the carcass in a large pot of boiling water with carrots, onions, leeks, bay leaves and peppercorns, usually I would put some fresh herbs in to but had none to hand so I make do without. I made my stock at lunchtime so it would have a few hours to simmer down and reduce to get every last scrap of delicious chicken flavour out of those bones, skimming the fat and scum off the top as I went.
After having a rummage in the fridge I have come up with a butternut squash, carrots, parsnips and ginger which seems a perfect combination for a fabulous soup, especially as I have that gorgeous savour stock waiting to be used in it. I decided to roast my butternut squash and parsnips and while they baked I sweated onions, garlic, carrots and ginger in olive oil and decided to raid my spice cupboard and decided to add garam masala, cumin seeds, start anise and a Cinnamon stick for a spicy depth and warmth.
When the squash was ready I scooped out the sticky fleshy middle and added it to my pan before pouring over my stock and then hand blending and seasoning with cracked pepper and a bit of creme fraiché... delicious.
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