WATER FLAVOUR DROPS RECIPES

Steps:

• Boil a large kettle of water. Break the carcass into a big non-stick pan and add the ginger slices, onion and two-thirds of the garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 2 mins – the meat will stick to the base of the pan, but this will add to the flavour. Pour in 1.5 litres of boiling water, stir in the vinegar, then cover and simmer for 2 hrs.
• Put a large sieve over a bowl and pour through the contents of the pan. Measure the liquid in the bowl – you want around 450ml. If you have too much, return to the pan and boil with the lid off to reduce it. Transfer the onion from the sieve to a bowl with three-quarters of the sweetcorn. Blitz until smooth with a hand blender.
• Return the broth to the pan, and tip in the puréed corn, remaining sweetcorn and garlic, the grated ginger, the whites of the spring onions and the chicken. Simmer for 5 mins, then stir in the tamari. Turn off the heat, and quickly drizzle in the egg, stirring a little to create egg threads. Season with pepper, then ladle into the bowls. Top with the spring onion greens and a few drops of sesame oil, if using.

Steps:

• Cut apples into thick slices but do not peel or core. Combine apples, water, lemon juice and two cups mint leaves in large saucepan, bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes until apples are soft. Strain mixture through muslin-lined sieve, over a bowl and stand overnight.

  Measure strained juice and return to a large, clean saucepan. Add one cup of sugar for each cup of juice and stir over heat until sugar is dissolved.

  Bring to boil and boil rapidly for 15 minutes or until setting point is reached. Add a few drops of food colouring to give desired colour. Remove from heat and add chopped mint leaves.

  Allow to stand for 10 minutes and stir the mint through to disperse evenly. Pour into sterilised jars.

  * Caroline Velik's crumbed lamb culets

  
  Tips on storing fresh herbs:

  I am a fan of food-storage bags for prolonging the life of cut herbs as they draw out excess moisture. To achieve a similar result, you can wrap the herbs in a paper towel and store in a plastic container, with a tight-fitting lid, in the fridge. Instead of storing leftover herbs in a bunch, where you can easily forget about them, why not make a marinade or pesto, which keeps in the fridge for up to a week and becomes an instant flavour hit in many dishes.

  Otherwise, try freezing leftover herbs. Simply pick the leaves, then chop finely or use a food processor for the task. Add enough water to form a thick paste, then freeze in ice cube trays. When frozen, place in labelled freezer bags and you'll have instant flavour to add to sauces and soups. This works well with basil, parsley and tarragon.