Turmeric chicken noodle soup with chard

Method

1. To prep the chicken, press down firmly on the backbone (as if spatchcocking) to break. Cut along one side of the backbone (kitchen scissors are good), then open out into one flat piece. Cut the legs into separate joints, cut off the wings and leave the breasts in one piece.
2. Put the chicken pieces in a large pot with the garlic, celery, carrot, turmeric, thyme, bay, parsley stalks and peppercorns and cover with cold water. Bring to a very gentle simmer – don’t let it boil. This keeps the broth clear and poaches the chicken without it breaking apart. Simmer very gently for 3 hours, regularly skimming off any foam. Top up with a little more water to keep the chicken and vegetables fully submerged, if you need to.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Strain the liquid into another large pan and discard all the solids except the garlic.
4. Once cool enough to handle, strip the cooked chicken meat off the bones and set aside. Slice or shred larger pieces. Cook the noodles in another pan according to the instructions on the pack, drain and set aside.
5. Add the chicken and noodles to the pan of broth to heat through along with the chard/spinach (add in batches as it wilts). Season to taste. Either squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins and mix into the soup to serve, or leave in whole.