Christmas preparations

I will be on my own this year but it won't prevent me from having a nice Christmas lunch.

One of my favourite things to do is to spend three days making a chicken stock.

Day one: cook the chicken. Remove the meat. Save the skin and carcass for stock making.

Day two: Make the stock by roasting the bones with ingredients specified by Raymond Blanc, then simmer in a stock pot for around two hours. Skim the stock, straw and freeze overnight.

Day three: I discovered this method of clarification myself, although I have since discovered Heston uses it too. Instead of creating a raft to clarify the stock (very wasteful of ingredients) I freeze then defrost slowly over a strainer. The gelatine in the stock forms a strong matrix which holds together as the stock defrosts. As the flavour filled liquor melts away the gelatine stays in place. Magic if you have the time.

The book is "Cooking for friends' by Raymond Blanc. I bought the signed copy on my first visit to Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in 1991 (when it was first published). I am lucky to have eaten in the restaurant several times and also photographed Raymond professionally on another three occasions.

The book is like a food social history. When detailing chicken in 1991 Blanc is very angry about British intensive meat production and recommends readers buy French chicken instead, which is a much higher welfare standard.

Much has changed in the last 30 years I am glad to say and high welfare free range chickens are now easy to find.