Chicken Avgolemono (looks like rice pudding, tastes like heaven)

Definitely not rice pudding.

This meal is so good for so many reasons. I shall proceed to list a few: it is terrifically thrifty, using the stock and left over chicken from Sunday's roast, and that dried up end of loaf (which I was sure I would find something useful to do with, a week after the rest of the bread was demolished). This makes me happy. I am far from tight fisted but I do like a bit of old fashioned prudence. Another great reason to love this, is that it looks like rice pudding, like it might be a bit stodgy and heavy. Surprise! It's beautifully light and scented with a heavenly mixture of lemon, parsley and a hint of garlic. It is also incredibly simple, cheap and easy, and I have a funny feeling it might make an excellent hangover cure. I had heard about this dish from the mother of The Boyfriend and weirdly the same day found a recipe for it in a magazine and then stupidly waited two years before cooking it. Don't worry about measurements too much, it will turn out slightly different each time, no problem there, it will always taste great. I used the leftover chicken from a smallish roast chicken devoured by The Boyfriend and I, and the stock from said chicken. Waste not, want not.

Feeds two. Bring approximately 1.5-2 litres of home made chicken stock (don't bother with a stock cube, the stock is the base of the soup and it needs to be the proper stuff) to the boil and add a couple of good handfuls of rice (all depends on how hungry you are, as much or as little as you like). Let that simmer away while you fry two stale slices of ciabatta, cubed,  in a splash of extra virgin olive oil. When golden, rub one side of each crouton with a cut clove of garlic, get the garlicky goodness right in there, a bit faffy but worth it. When the rice is just about cooked, add some cooked shredded chicken and stir in, warming it through. Remove from the heat. In a cup, mix a beaten egg or two with the juice of a lemon and trickle this into the soup, stirring gently, until combined. Season really well, plop the soup into two bowls, garnish with the croutons (you will probably have eaten half by now) and some chopped flat leaf parsley. 

Cook it now, you can thank me later.