Saturday - Jo's Spring Rolls with a Fragrant Chicken Broth

Last week I dismembered a chicken to make slow cooked chicken in a tomato sauce.  I also used the remains of the carcass to make a chicken stock for a nice mid week supper.  As invariably happens, I forgot to use it for a mid week supper and on Saturday was faced with cooking it or throwing it away.

Joe was of the view that I wouldn't be able to make a Saturday night dinner using boring chicken stock/soup - it wasn't fun enough.  Well that was enough for me.  Challenge accepted.  Coupled with an aim to finally make some well presented food (you may have noticed presentation is not my strong point), I searched the recipe books and settled on some Chinese inspired dishes.  It is Chinese New Year, after all.

First up were some spring rolls.  Well, unfortunately for me, these were a bit of a disaster.  I'd seen a recipe at some point which suggested filo pastry was suitable for spring rolls.  I made my vegetable mixture, seasoned with some soy sauce and hoisin and wrapped up the rolls.  At some point between placing them in the oven and taking them back out again, there was a disaster.  Stuck pastry, spilled filling.  Huge fail.

Onwards and upwards though, and proceeding with the fragrant chicken broth with noodles and dumplings.  I flavoured the broth with ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass and set it on a very low heat to simmer.  The pak choi, julienned carrots and peppers were steamed on top, and small pork and prawn dumplings were fried in a separate pan.  The dumplings were then finished in the broth, topped with lime juice and spring onions and voila - lovely flavoured soup, dumplings, topped with a butterflied crevette.  And it didn't look too shabby either...

The spring rolls - I'd advise by-passing this picture quickly!

Fragrant chicken broth with steamed vegetables and pork and prawn dumplings