Creamy Chicken And Corn Soup

Ingredients

• Vegetable stock
• 750 grams chicken bones, washed and cleaned
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 2 inch leeks, diagonally sliced
• 2 inch celery, halved
• 1 small carrot, peeled, vertically halved and sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 12-15 black peppercorns
• Soup
• 1 boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• ¾ cup sweetcorn kernels
• ¼ cup fresh cream + for garnish
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons butter
• 1½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
• Crushed black peppercorns to taste
• Salt to taste
• ½ tablespoon refined flour (maida)
• 3-4 button mushrooms, sliced
• Toasted brun pav slices to serve

Method

1. Put the chicken bones in a deep non-stick pan, add onion, leeks, celery, carrot, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and 5-6 cups water and mix well. Place the pan on heat and cook till it comes to a boil. Collect the scum that is formed on the top and discard it.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook for 25-30 minutes. Discard the scum occasionally. Do not mix the stock.
3. Strain the stock into another deep pan.
4. Heat olive oil and butter in yet another deep non-stick pan, add garlic, mix and saute till golden brown. 
5. Add celery and onion, mix well and saute till translucent.
6. Pluck the leaves from thyme sprigs and add to the pan. Mix and saute for 1 minute. 
7. Add sweetcorn kernels, mix and saute for 1 minute. Add crushed black peppercorns and salt, mix well and saute till onion turns golden. 
8. Add refined flour, mix well and saute for 1-2 minutes. 
9. Add the strained stock and mix well. Blend the mixture to a coarse mixture with an electric blender. Cook till the mixture comes to a boil.
10. Add chicken strips and mushrooms and mix well. Add salt and crushed black peppercorns, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes or till chicken gets done.
11. Add fresh cream and mix well. Switch the heat off.
12. Transfer the soup into a serving bowl, drizzle fresh cream and sprinkle crushed black peppercorns. Serve hot with toasted brun pavs.