Home Made: Good, honest food made easy. Tana Ramsay

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      1 Choose a saucepan, with a lid, that fits the chicken and allows a little room for other vegetables. Put the chicken into the centre of the pot and surround with the celery, carrot and half the leeks and onions. Throw in the bay leaf, peppercorns, tarragon and a generous pinch of salt and pour over enough water almost to cover the bird, leaving the top of the breast clear. It will poach in the steam. Put on the hob and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Put on the lid and cook very gently for 11/2 hours.

      2 When the time is up, remove from the heat and allow to cool for as long as it takes to remove the chicken safely. Put the chicken to one side.

      3 Pour the cooking liquor through a fine sieve into a clean pan and discard all the vegetables and seasonings. Boil the liquor until reduced to about 1 litre/11/2 pints.

      4 Meanwhile, in a clean pan, melt the butter on a medium heat and add the remaining chopped onion and leek. Fry until soft, but not coloured. Add the flour and stir well to make a smooth paste around the vegetables. Fry for a couple of minutes, then gradually stir in the reduced cooking liquor. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then liquidize in batches.

      5 Return the liquidized mixture to the saucepan and bring back to a simmer. Add the cream and sherry.

      6 Using your hands, remove the breast meat from the chicken carcass, discarding the skin. Shred the meat into very small pieces and add to the soup. Season with salt to taste and serve in warm bowls, sprinkled with the chives.

      1 Choose a large saucepan with a lid. Heat the oil in the pan on a low-medium heat and add the onions along with the garlic and chillies. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, until softened. Add the red and green peppers and sweat until softened slightly.

      2 Pour the contents of the pan into a food processor along with the tomatoes and blend until smooth.

      3 Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the stock, marjoram and cayenne pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste, then stir in the fish and prawns and cook gently for no more than 10 minutes – be careful not to overcook.

      4 Add the parsley and serve in warm bowls. The Tabasco and a grinding of black pepper should be added to taste once the soup is served.