Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

600ml/1 pint/2/1/2 cups fish or chicken stock
2.5cm/1in fresh root ginger, very thinly sliced
400g/14oz can creamed corn
150g/5oz cooked white crab meat
15ml/1 tbsp arrowroot or cornflour (cornstarch)
15ml/1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
15-30ml/1-2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 egg white
salt and ground white pepper
shredded spring onions (scallions), to garnish

Put the stock and ginger in a large, heavy pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir in the creamed corn and bring back to the boil.

Turn off the heat and add the crab meat. Put the arrowroot or cornflour in a cup and stir in the rice wine or sherry to make a smooth paste,

then stir this into the soup. Cook over a low heat for about 3 minutes, until the soup has thickened and is slightly glutinous in consistency. Add

light soy sauce, salt and white pepper to taste.

In a bowl, whisk the egg white to a stiff foam. Gradually fold it into the soup. Ladle the soup into heated bowls, garnish each portion with spring onions and serve immediately.

Cook’s Tip

This soup is sometimes made with whole kernel corn, but creamed corn gives a better texture. If you can’t find it in a can, use thawed frozen creamed corn instead; the result will be just as good.

Variation

To make prawn (shrimp) and corn soup, substitute 150g/5oz cooked peeled and deveined prawns for the crab meat. Chop the peeled

prawns coarsely and add to the soup where you would usually add the crab meat.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

100g/3/3/4 0z salt pork or thinly sliced unsmoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm/1/1/2 in cubes
1 bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig
300mI/1/2 pint/1/1/4 cups milk
400g/14oz cooked clams, cooking liquid reserved
150ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup double(heavy) cream
salt, ground white pepper and cayenne pepper
finely chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Put the salt pork or unsmoked bacon in a pan, and heat gently, stirring frequently, until the fat runs and the meat is starting to brown. Add

the chopped onion and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.

Add the cubed potatoes, the bay leaf and thyme sprig, stir well to coat with fat, then pour in the milk and reserved clam liquid and bring to

the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but still firm. Lift out the bay leaf and thyme sprig and discard.

Remove the shells from most of the clams. Add all the clams to the pan and season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Simmer gently

for 5 minutes more, then stir in the cream. Heat until the soup is very hot, but do not allow it to boil. Pour into a warmed tureen, garnish with the chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
30ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1.5 litres/2/1/2 pints/6/1/4 cups good chicken stock or canned consommé
115g/4oz dried vermicelli or angel hair pasta
115g/4oz cooked chicken breast, sliced salt and ground black pepper

First make the egg shreds. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl and stir in the coriander or parsley.

Heat a small non-stick frying pan and pour in 30-45ml/ 2-3 tbsp egg, swirling to cover the base evenly. Cook until set. Repeat until all the

mixture is used up.

Roll each pancake up and slice thinly into shreds. Set aside.

Bring the stock or consommé to the boil and add the pasta, breaking it up into short lengths. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the pasta is almost

tender, then add the chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through for about 2-3 minutes, then stir in the egg shreds. Serve

immediately.

Variation

To make a Thai variation, use Chinese rice noodles instead of pasta. Stir 1.5ml/1/2 tsp dried lemon grass, 2 small whole fresh chillies and

60ml/4 tbsp coconut milk into the stock. Add 4 sliced spring onions and plenty of chopped fresh coriander.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

50 g/2oz dried haricot or cannellini beans, soaked overnight
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 leeks, cut into rounds
3 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped chives
125 g/4oz French beans, cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch pieces
125 g/4oz asparagus, cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch pieces
150 g/5oz shelled broad beans, defrosted if frozen, skinned
125 g/4 oz shelled peas, fresh or frozen
1 litre/1/3/4 pints Vegetable or Chicken Stock, or boiling water
75 g/3oz long-grain rice
175 g/6oz fresh spinach
salt and pepper
50 g/2oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated, to serve
Red pesto
2 garlic cloves, chopped
25 g/1oz basil leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts 8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
125 ml/4 fl oz extra virgin olive oil 25 g/1 oz grated Parmesan cheese

Drain and rinse the dried beans, place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes-1 hour or until tender. Remove from the heat and set aside in their cooking liquid.

To make the pesto, place the garlic, basil, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor or blender and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add the extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream until blended. Scrape into a bowl, stir in the Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic, celery and leeks and cook gently for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes with half of the herbs, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 12-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.

Add the French beans, asparagus and fresh broad beans and peas, if using. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the stock or water. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Add the rice, the cooked haricot or cannellini beans and their cooking liquid and the spinach (and the frozen broad beans and peas, if using) and cook for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and stir in the remaining herbs. Serve each bowl of soup with a spoonful of pesto, and sprinkle with the Parmesan.