This simple soup is like sunshine in your bowl

A bowl of comforting soup with a piece of warm bread… simple, but sometimes that’s all you need

Chicken and corn soup with corn bread, made a little bit fancy. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

There was a time early in my career when I was working in a kitchen that ran harder than it probably should have. The hours were long and ­demanding; 18-hour days that bled into nights. We were young, hungry and chasing something, though we didn’t always know what. There was little time for a proper staff meal, so we would often make do with whatever we could scavenge in the few quiet moments between service and prep. It felt like survival and at odds with the incredible dishes that we created for the dining room. Some nights I lived off the stock pot. The creation of the many classical sauces required the continuous production of stocks, particularly chicken, which we would make by the gallon in a giant kettle. Wings were cheap and gelatinous; we roasted them beforehand for several hours. They were capable of ­delivering a depth of flavour that never ceased to amaze me.

After hours of simmering, I would dip a ladle in to fish out the steaming wings. Though burning hot, I would quickly strip the meat, toss it with a little salt and a spoon of the rich broth, sometimes adding a spoon of Dijon. That was dinner. It wasn’t glamourous, but as a young hungry chef, it was magic and kept me nourished.

Chicken broth is fondly regarded as comfort in a bowl. There’s a beautiful simplicity to it, simmering low without urgency until the flavour becomes rounded, layered, quietly complex. It’s the reassuring warmth many of us crave on a cold evening or when we are feeling under the weather. One of my favourite ways to bring it to life is in a corn and chicken soup.

There’s something gently luxurious about the way the natural sweetness of corn plays against the savoury depth of a good chicken stock. The stock is the bedrock of the soup, enabling the corn to shine even brighter. Some corn is roasted whilst the rest is juiced and reduced to something close to a custard; thick, golden and naturally sweet. The central section or “wingettes” are deboned and seared until the skin crackles into a golden crisp, creating the ultimate croutons. Roasted hazelnuts add a nutty contrast, while blistered corn kernels provide little bursts of sweetness.

And with that, cornbread. Rich with butter and creamed corn, the batter is barely mixed and poured into a cast iron pan slick with hot fat. The characteristic hiss the moment it touches signals the base setting instantly into a golden crust. The top domes, the edges pull away, whilst the inside remains rich and fluffy, studded with flecks of creamed corn.

Eaten warm, with a smear of butter, or dunked straight into the soup, it’s the sort of meal that wraps around you. A bowl of comforting soup with a piece of warm bread… simple, but sometimes that’s all you need.

Chicken and sweetcorn soup

Classic flavous make a beautiful dish. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

The simple goodness of corn on the cob.

Ingredients

• 1.4kg free-range chicken wings
• 1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 8 corn cobs, husk and threads removed
• 60g roasted hazelnuts, halved
• 50ml olive oil
• Sea salt

Method

1. Trim the chicken wings, removing the tips and drumettes for stock. Debone the middle “wingette” sections by trimming the end of each joint to expose the two bones, which can then be pushed out. Reserve the boneless wingettes for later. Place the tips, drumettes and bones in a heavy-bottomed pot, cover with cold water (about1 litre) and bring gently to the boil; skim off any scum.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the kernels from 6 of the corn cobs. Add the corn cobs to the pot. Simmer gently for 1-2 hours. Pass and reserve the stock.
3. Reserve one third of the kernels whole and juice the remaining corn kernels. Pour this juice into a saucepan and reduce slowly over low heat, stirring often, until it thickens to the consistency of warm custard.
4. In a separate pan, warm 30ml of olive oil and add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the reserved corn kernels and the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before adding the reduced corn juice and blending until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a clean pan, seasoning to taste.
5. Fire up the grill or heat a cast iron pan. Brush the boneless chicken wingettes with salt and a little oil. Sear skin-side down in a hot pan or on the grill until deeply golden and crisp. Turn and season, basting with the rendered fat. Add the two reserved corn cobs and grill for 5-10 minutes until blistered and golden, seasoning well. Remove the kernels from the cobs and combine in a bowl with the roasted hazelnuts. Ladle the hot soup into warm bowls. Carve each wingette in half and use to top the soup, scattering with charred corn kernels and roasted hazelnuts to finish. Serves 4

Corn bread

This bread is baked in a pan. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

The perfect side for your soup.

Ingredients

• 1 corn cob (kernels removed)
• 180ml whole milk
• 120ml buttermilk
• 140g cornmeal
• 140g plain flour
• 30g sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 100g crème fraîche
• 100g melted butter (plus 50g extra for skillet)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200C. In a small saucepan, combine the corn kernels and milk. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Let it simmer for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender and the milk is infused.
2. Blend lightly with a stick blender or mash with a fork, leaving some texture. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the buttermilk. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, plain flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, crème fraîche and the cooled creamed corn mixture. Add the 100g of melted butter. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix – it’s OK if it looks a little lumpy. Heat a 20cm cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 50g butter and let it melt and begin to brown slightly (nutty aroma, golden colour).
4. Swirl to coat the pan, then immediately pour in the batter. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before turning out and slicing into generous wedges. Serves 4