Creamy Chicken Soup With Macaroni And Crispy Chicken Skin

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7, then take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Heat a large, wide-based, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Carefully pull the chicken skin off your chicken thighs

Add the chicken skin to a baking paper-lined baking tray and season with a pinch of salt

Place another piece of baking paper over the chicken skin, then a second baking tray on top to weigh it down slightly

Put the stacked baking trays in the oven for 25-30 min or until the chicken skin is golden and crispy – this is your crispy chicken skin

Boil a kettle

Once the dish is hot, add the skinless chicken thighs with a pinch of salt

Cook for 3-4 min or until starting to brown

Whilst the chicken is browning, top, tail and chop your carrot[s] in half lengthways, then into bite-sized pieces

Peel and chop your brown onion[s] into wedges

Crush your garlic open by squashing them with the side of a knife and discard the skins

Add the onion wedges and chopped carrot to the dish with your dried thyme, crushed garlic, 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and a pinch of salt and give everything a good mix up

Stir in your chicken stock mix and 550ml [700ml] [900ml] boiled water

Add your bay leaf[ves], mix it all together and bring to a boil over a high heat

Once boiling, cover with a lid and place the dish in the oven for an initial 10 min

After 10 min, remove the dish from the oven and stir through half your grated Italian hard cheese (you'll use the rest later!)

Add your macaroni with your shredded kale, a pinch of salt and a generous grind of black pepper, then cover with a lid and return the dish to the oven for a further 15 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Once done, use two forks to shred the chicken apart and stir through your crème fraîche – this is your creamy chicken soup with macaroni