Today's recipe to feed four for a fiver takes its chef back to the day when he had all of £4.60 to his name.

Three and a half years ago Eamon Fullalove was living in Cirencester, going bankrupt and out of work, but he and his wife managed to scrape together just under £5 in coppers and buy a chicken and some vegetables.

"We just made a massive vat of soup," recalls Eamon, 37, who now runs the Star and Dove in Totterdown with his wife Christiane, 32.

"We managed to live off that for a week - it's brilliant and tastes amazing, as well as being really good for you."

Eamon and Christiane took over the pub three years ago, and while Eamon took care of the menu, artist Christiane sorted out the pub's decor.

Before the difficult times in Cirencester, Eamon had worked in London, setting up a bakery to employ homeless people and was later snapped up by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to be head chef at his restaurant Fifteen, featured in a TV documentary.

"I wrote to Jamie listing the reasons why he should employ me and that got me an interview, and eventually the job," said Eamon.

"I was in charge of all the disadvantaged youngsters that came through as students, and getting them trained up. It was hard work but brilliant to be making a difference while doing something that I loved."

He got into cooking because his mum was a catering manager and used to take him to sit in the restaurant where she worked.

He has lots of other tips for saving money in the kitchen.

"Cook slow - that's my first tip," he said. "Buy things that are cheap, like cheaper cuts of meat - things like neck of lamb. If you slow-cook that it is delicious.

"Get a cook book and look for recipes for things like oxtail, for all the recipes cooking cheaper cuts of meat. Maybe buy a chicken and make a broth that will last for a few days."

You can sample Eamon's cooking at the Star and Dove, where on Sundays and Wednesdays you can watch a film and have two courses of food for £10.

One-Pot Chicken Broth

Ingredients

A whole chicken, or four good chicken legs, jointed

3 carrots

1 large onion

1 leek

1 bulb of fennel

Half a head of celery

2 tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic

1 cabbage

3 bay leaves

Lentils, pasta, split green peas, faro (optional)

Prosciutto hock or four rashers of bacon (optional)

Ginger, chilli, coriander and lime (optional)

To serve: Parmesan, pesto, parsley, basil or mint.

Method:

1. Put the chicken in a saucepan that is deep enough to fill with water and hold the chicken.

2. Cover the chicken with cold water and put it on the heat.

3. Meanwhile, chop up the carrots, onion and fennel into 1cm dice, and chop the leek and celery. Crush the garlic and chop up the cabbage. Chop the tomatoes in half. Wash all the vegetables.

4. The pot with the chicken should now be starting to boil.

5. If there is any scum forming on the top, spoon it off.

6. Add the vegetables to the chicken pot. Add bay leaves.

7. You can now add your pulses or pasta, and prosciutto or bacon, if using.

8. Simmer for one and a half hours without covering. Do not boil. Just let it gently bubble.

9. Take chicken meat off bones, discard bones and skin.

10. Season with salt and pepper, or chilli etc.