Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Soup Series, 6: Pamela Freeman's classically simple potato and leek soup

Take about four large potatoes to each leek.

Slice leeks finely and sweat down in a little olive oil in the same pot you are going to make the soup in.

When leeks are soft, add peeled diced potatoes and chicken stock to cover generously. I make my own stock usually but you can use commercial stock. If you use home-made stock, add pepper and salt to taste.

Simmer until potatoes are very soft then blend - I use a stick blender. That's it!  If you like dairy, you can add cream at the very end.  One leek makes enough for four.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Soup Series, 5: Brodo di pollo, from Sally Rippin and Raffaele Caputo

Words by Sally, recipe by Raffaele.
My main character in the Our Australian Girl series that I’m currently writing is Lina, the daughter of Italian migrants growing up in Carlton in the 1950s. There’s a little scene at the start of the third book in the series in which Lina’s nonna, her grandmother, makes brodo—that is, chicken soup—to comfort Bruno, Lina’s older brother, who has been the victim of a racist attack.

My partner Raffaele and his family have been the primary source of inspiration for this series, so I thought his chicken soup recipe would be the perfect contribution to your blog. It’s the type of chicken soup that Southern Italian immigrants would have made in 1950s (which Raffaele learnt from his mum, but with a couple of slight variations borrowed from Abla’s Lebanese Kitchen, a cookbook that Raffaele had a hand in helping put together).

The brodo that Lina’s nonna makes in Our Australian Girl would likely have been made by using gallina (a laying hen, rather than pollo), and would have used all of the chicken, not just the breast. In that case, the chicken would have simmered initially for 2 hours at least. And an ingredient that Nonna would have added to the soup is pasttina (small-style pasta), which is included here as optional. (But Raffaele tells me that he loved it when his mother, instead of adding pasta, would often make these tasty, elegant, little pork and veal meatballs that she’d pop into the soup in the last 30 minutes of cooking.)

To give you a bit of background about chicken soup in Italy, especially in the south, it was considered more than a comfort food, it was also looked upon as a sign of prosperity. That’s why among those Italians holding up traditions, chicken soup is always served as the first course of a Sunday lunch or festive dinner.

It is also a soup served all year round, even on hot summer days. Of course, in the winter it helped stave off the cold, but in summer it was served to help you keep cool by raising up a sweat.

Another thing that would have happened in Lina’s time is that a small bowl of freshly grated parmigiano (parmesan cheese) would have been placed on the table for those who enjoy a little extra bite to their soup. Or, more likely, a chunk of parmigiano along with a small hand-grater would have been passed around the table.



Raffaele’s wonderful chicken soup has seen me through all types of illnesses, from morning sickness to the flu. He has also made it for friends of mine recovering from childbirth to help them get their strength back – it really is a miracle soup, and always made with such love. I like to joke that Raffaele and I make the perfect couple in that he loves to cook and I love to eat. 



Enjoy!







Brodo di pollo (Chicken Soup)



Serves 6 — 8



2 chicken breast, on the bone and skin removed

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, including stalks

2 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks (including some tender leaves), finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground allspice



Optional:

½ cup small-style pasta such as treccine, capellini, or crushed vermicelli



Place the chicken breast in a saucepan with 7-8 litres of water. Add the cinnamon and bay leaves, and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the saucepan and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meat starts to fall away from the bone. Transfer the chicken breast to platter and set aside. Strain the broth and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.



Bring the strained broth to a boil over high heat. Add the onion, parsley, tomato, carrot and celery to the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer.



Meanwhile, pull the meat from bone and shred into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded pieces to the pan, then add salt, pepper and allspice and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.



If using, add the pasta and cook for a further 3 minutes or until tender.



Check seasoning before serving.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Soup Series, 4: Sally Odgers' Double Bubble

Sallyo’s Soups

The first soup is a rich concoction of the red/brown persuasion. The second is khaki in colour, but equally tasty.

The First Soup

You need:
One ham hock, smoked hock or bacon hock
One chicken breast or four chicken drumsticks
One large can of good quality tomato soup
Six stalks of celery
Three large carrots
One large onion
Six or eight medium mushrooms
Chicken stock powder
One large head of broccoli
A quarter of a cauliflower
A small cabbage
Dried mixed herbs
A vegetable knife/poultry shears/scissors/knife, a tin opener and spoon and a large stock pot or soup pot.

Method
Boil up the ham hock in a large soup pot for about an hour. Make sure the hock is covered in water.
When cooked, remove the hock and put aside to cool (get it into the refrigerator as quickly as possible). Set the water in a cool place and, when sufficiently cool, refrigerate for several hours.
Once the stock has set into a jelly-like consistency, remove all the white fat from the top and discard.

Return the stock to the stove with extra water if necessary. While it heats, chop the carrots, celery, onion and mushrooms and throw them into the pot. Cut up the broccoli and cauliflower and add that, then add a small amount of shredded cabbage.

Add about a dessert spoon of powdered stock.

Remove all the fat from the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Remove all the fat and skin from the hock, and cut the meat into pieces. When the soup is almost cooked (about one hour), add the ham and chicken and a teaspoon of mixed herbs. Simmer for a further ten minutes to cook the chicken. Add the can of tomato soup and blend with a wooden spoon.

Serve with bread, rolls or croutons.
This soup is thick enough to serve as a main meal. It serves six to eight, or can be refrigerated for up to three days.


The Second Soup

You need:
One ham hock, smoked hock or bacon hock
One chicken breast or four chicken drumsticks
Two leeks
One medium sweet potato
One medium swede or turnip
One large wedge of pumpkin
Chicken stock powder
One large head of broccoli
Half a cauliflower
Curry powder
One can of creamed corn
A vegetable knife/poultry shears/scissors/knife, a tin opener, spoon, potato masher and a large stock pot or soup pot.
Method
Boil up the ham hock in a large soup pot for about an hour. Make sure the hock is covered in water.
When cooked, remove the hock and put aside to cool (get it into the refrigerator as quickly as possible). Set the water in a cool place and, when sufficiently cool, refrigerate for several hours.
Once the stock has set into a jelly-like consistency, remove all the white fat from the top and discard.

Return the stock to the stove with extra water if necessary. While it heats, remove the coarse leaves and root end from the leeks. Cut them in half lengthwise and wash in cold water to remove any grit. Slice finely and add to stock.
Peel and chop the pumpkin, swede and sweet potato, then chop the cauliflower and broccoli. Add these to the stock along with a dessert spoon of stock powder. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from the stove, and mash with a potato masher. Add curry powder to taste (usually one teaspoon full), and then add chopped raw chicken and the chopped lean meat from the hock. Simmer gently for ten minutes to cook the chicken. Add the can of creamed corn. Mix well.

The soup is thick enough for a main meal. It serves six to eight, or can be refrigerated for up to three days.

Sally Odgers' latest book is 'How to be an Awesome Author', a fun handbook for children on writing. Here's the intro:
Are you ready for awesomeness?
You can write awesome stories. All you need is an idea, some characters, a setting, a plot and—
Whoa there! This is starting to sound like hard work. And you know what? It is hard work, but it can still be fun. In this book you’ll find out lots of ways to make those awesome stories even more awesome.
How to be An Awesome Author is available from Sally's site.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Soup series, 3: Stephanie Smee presents pasta e fagioli soup


This is a recipe I’ve made many times over the years, which is delicious in this cooler weather. It certainly makes the house smell good as it burbles away on the stove...

Pasta e fagioli according to the boys at Café Sopra at Fratelli Fresh

60 g butter
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
(I add 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped and a bay leaf)
6 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, finely chopped (today I used a tin of chopped roma tomatoes)
A ham hock which I got my butcher to cut in half for me
1.5 litres of chicken stock
250 g podded borlotti beans
100g short tube pasta or other small soup pasta
Parsley/chives/chervil
Parmesan to serve

 Heat butter in a large heavy based saucepan, and sautĂ© your onions/carrots/celery/garlic and bay.
Do this slowly and make sure they don’t burn.
Add tomatoes, cook for a couple of minutes, then add ham hock and stock. Simmer gently for 2 hours.
 Remove hock from soup, cool slightly and shred meat. Skim off any excess fat from the soup.
Add ham meat, beans and pasta back to soup and cook for seven minutes until pasta is al dente and beans are tender.
 Stir in herbs and serve with parmesan/pepper.
 I serve with toasted crunchy bread rubbed with half a clove of raw garlic. Yum!

Stephanie Smee has written several bestselling translations of the Countess de Segur's classic French children's books. This year in September will appear her translation of the Countess' General Dourakine, a sequel to A Room at the Guardian Angel Inn, which was published last year . All the books are published by Simon and Schuster Australia.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Soup Series, 2: Sheryl Gwyther's Author Rescue Soup

This soup is for those occasions where you’ve been writing like crazy all day and suddenly, it’s dark and you haven’t cooked dinner, nor have you even planned ahead for it.
Use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and pantry. If you don’t have real chicken stock, use a shop one (not as good, but this is rescue soup time, not haute cuisine), and ALWAYS have a packet of pearl barley in your pantry.
I’ve been called a ‘creative cook’ – I hardly ever measure things, and I use the taste and smell test – maybe creative is a kind way to say ‘disorganised’ and ‘make it up as she goes’ cook. I prefer to call myself a sensory cook and this soup sure fills the senses, and the stomach.
Author’s Rescue Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped / 1 crushed garlic clove
Peeled and chopped (small) pieces of pumpkin, sweet potato (white), zucchinis, celery, fresh peas, a some fresh okra (these were all in my fridge today), carrots
Oregano, cumin and pepper to taste
1 litre chicken stock
¾ cup pearl barley (micro-waved in water first until almost soft)
½ cup chick peas (from a tin)
Fresh lemon juice
Bunch of fresh coriander

Method:
  1. Gently cook the onion until transparent (and it smells good) then the garlic (don’t burn)
  2. Add all the vegetable ingredients and a sprinkle of oregano and pepper
  3. Add chicken stock to the pot and stir up the heat – make sure the vegetables are covered (add a bit of water if necessary)
  4. Add pearl barley and chick peas – stir through
  5. Cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked and the barley has soaked up more of the flavour. (Timing depends on how thick you cut the pieces).
  6. Squeeze over lemon juice and stir through. Pour into bowls.
  7. Sprinkle chopped coriander.
  8. Serve with toasted rye bread (or whatever bread you like)
  9. Warning: do not eat in front of computer!