The Bear’s Matty Matheson loves soup. These are two of his favourites.

I could eat soup every day – at least twice or even three times, depending on the soup.

This is an edited extract from Soups, Salads, Sandwiches by Matty Matheson (Murdoch Books, $49.99). Photography by Quentin Bacon.

Food has taken me all over the world many times. I’m truly blessed to have had so many years of travel and taste with me. So many stories, so many flavours, so many techniques. Despite this, I keep coming back to the same things that make me happy. The things that make most people happy. The things you make that are familiar to you. The things you make that remind you of cooking at home with the people you love. I could eat soup every day – at least twice or even three times, depending on the soup.

Avgolemono (Greek chicken and lemon soup)

Hard to pronounce, easy to like: avgolemono.

Matty Matheson is an American celebrity chef.

I have no idea how to pronounce this, but I love chicken, I love lemon, and I love soup, so I love this.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more to coat the orzo
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 2 eggs
• Juice of 2 lemons
• ¼ cup dill, chopped, plus more for garnish

Method

1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and the bay leaf, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the whole chicken breasts and chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, skimming off any scum. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and set them aside until cool enough to handle.
3. While the chicken is cooking, bring a separate small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and toss in olive oil to prevent it sticking together. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice until well combined. While whisking continuously, gradually add ½ cup of the warm chicken soup to the egg and lemon mixture. This step is essential to prevent the eggs from curdling when added to the hot soup. Continue to whisk until the avgolemono sauce is smooth. Set aside.
5. Shred the chicken into big chunks using two forks. Return the shredded chicken and the cooked orzo to the soup. Slowly pour the avgolemono sauce into the soup, stirring continuously.
6. Heat the soup gently for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and the soup to thicken slightly. Keep the heat low to prevent curdling. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the dill. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra dill.

Serves 4

Clam, sausage, orecchiette, kale and chicken brodo

Clam, sausage, orecchiette, kale and chicken brodo.

Matty Matheson, photography by Quentin Bacon.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups dried orecchiette pasta
• Sea salt
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus a few tablespoons for the pasta and for serving
• 5 hot Italian sausages, removed from their casings
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 anchovy
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
• 10 cups good quality chicken stock
• 1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 950g clams
• 1 bunch Tuscan black kale, roughly chopped
• Freshly cracked black
• pepper
• Parmigiano Reggiano

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make it taste like the sea, and boil the orecchiette until al dente (removing 2-3 minutes before it’s done, according to the package instructions). Drain and toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together. Keep covered until ready to use.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the ¼ cup olive oil and brown the sausage meat, breaking it up into bite-size pieces. Add the onion, garlic and anchovy and cook until the vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Next, add your wine. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until it has reduced to a few tablespoons of liquid, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, chilli flakes, smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon of salt. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 hour.
4. While it’s simmering, take a pot brush and really scrub the shells of the clams. Hold them in cold water in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Once the soup has simmered, add the clams and cook until they open, then immediately remove them with tongs. If some don’t open, get rid of them.
5. Add the kale and simmer for 10 more minutes. Adjust the seasoning as you see fit. When the soup is done, add the cooked clams and orecchiette back in. Ladle a generous amount into four bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with black pepper. If you want, you can also top with Parmigiano Reggiano. Serves 4