A perfect spring soup for you: broth-like, nourishing and tasty. Just be sure to get a very important chicken

I’VE RECENTLY decided that the only place you’re guaranteed to bump into old friends is the supermarket. Because of this, I’ve also decided that heading to a supermarket looking like a sea monster is not a good idea.

Although I don’t descend into the grim sartorial depths of shiny pyjamas and slippers, it’s safe to say I never look my best, due to the fact that squeezing in an evening visit to the shops usually means you’re strapped for time, hungry and have no clue what to make for dinner. This kind of harried, desperate and vacant look might be cute when you’re young and innocent, but can be downright scary if you’re of a certain age.

Let me be honest. Plenty of times I have cooked really boring grub at home, especially after shopping in a supermarket where there is nothing on the shelves to inspire. I end up wandering aimlessly around the aisles, husband and children in tow, realising I’ve forgotten the shopping list and getting so distracted by products I’ll never buy that the whole expedition ends up fruitless.

This is usually the exact moment when I bump into a friend or long-lost cousin, who tells husband and children they’re so lucky to have a chef as a wife and mum. Husband and children snigger at the suggestion they get gourmet meals each night. To tarnish my good name further, they point to the shopping basket and, with just one peek inside by the bearer of compliments, my reputation is sullied forever. It’s clear the trolley peekers are appalled at the lack of excitement in the basket. But that is the curse of modern domesticity. There is little room for any inner goddess these days, but always room for spuds, baked beans and eggs.

However, I did get it together to make a big pot of this egg-drop soup, known as stracciatella (not to be confused with the ice cream bearing the same name), which was reheated and doled out for lunch and dinner three days running. It is a perfect spring soup: broth-like, nourishing and tasty. Normally I am not one to insist on buying very important chickens (VICs), as it’s up to you what you spend on raw ingredients, but in this case I recommend a free-range or organic bird, as you are boiling it up and extracting every last bit of meat from it, so you can justify the extra cost.

If you survive on this broth for the week, then the lemon and ginger mousse will make up for lost calories.

Stracciatella

This made enough soup for eight to 10 portions

1 large chicken

About 5 litres water

Head of garlic, peeled

Few sprigs of thyme

Few sprigs of rosemary

10 black peppercorns

1 leek, roughly chopped

Good sprinkle of salt

Place the chicken in a large stock pot and cover with water (I used about five litres). Add in the other ingredients and bring slowly to the boil. You will have to regularly slosh out scum that rises to the surface with a big metal spoon.

Once it’s simmering, gently cook for 10 minutes and then turn the heat off and leave the chicken to sit in the water and gently cook for another hour. Meanwhile, cook the pasta below and have the other prep ready to go.

250g riso pasta or any small shaped pasta

Olive oil

6 eggs

300g Parmesan cheese, grated

Big bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper

500g frozen peas

Cook the pasta in boiling water until just tender. Drain, rinse in plenty of cold water until cold, then generously pour on some olive oil and set aside in a bowl, giving it a good stir so that it’s well coated in olive oil and won’t stick.

Whisk the eggs with the Parmesan, add the parsley, and season really well. When the chicken has cooked, remove from the stock and set aside on a plate. Meanwhile, strain the stock or else just scoop out the bits of herbs, leeks and debris, and discard.

Heat up the stock and slowly simmer for at least 20-30 minutes, so that it can reduce by a litre. Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Tear off the flesh and finely chop. Remove every last scrap and then discard the bones.

When ready to serve, bring the stock to the boil, add the beaten egg mixture and give it a good whisk so that it distributes evenly. Then add the chicken, frozen peas and cooked pasta. Cook for a few minutes and taste, adding salt and pepper if necessary before serving.

Lemon and ginger mousse

2 gelatin leaves

4-5 lemons

250ml cream

100g caster sugar

2tbsp stem ginger syrup

Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water until soft. Juice and zest the lemons (you should have about 200ml of lemon juice). Heat up half the lemon juice and zest in a small saucepan with the soft gelatin leaves, very gently until they melt. Do not let it boil or get too hot. Remove from the heat and let it cool down and add the rest of the lemon juice. Set aside for a few minutes.

Whisk the cream and sugar together with the syrup from the stem ginger. When it’s starting to get thick, fold in the lemon juice. Keep beating with a whisk, nice and slowly. You may have to cool it down a bit by putting it in the freezer for five minutes and then giving it another whisk. The idea is to chill it down and whisk it to bring it all together so that it becomes thick and voluptuous.

When you are happy with the taste, chill it down fully and layer up in glasses with some berries. Serve with shortbread or thin biscuits.

dkemp@irishtimes.comSee also itsa.ie