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type you have.
¨
¨
Cream soups. These are purées to which you add milk, cream or a combination of both.
Bisque is a cream soup in which the main ingredient is traditionally shellfish, though you can
use vegetables for a bisque, too.
¨
Chowderis a thick fish or meat soup with vegetables in milk, cream or a combination of the
two.
With these basic definitions you'll know what any cookbook or restaurant menu is talking
about. But how you prepare your own soup base matters not at all.
Get out the stock pot
Stock is the basis of many soups. You can make a big pot of it from time to time, use
some immediately and freeze the rest in small batches. That way you always have stock on hand.
If you are economically-minded, accumulate stock ingredients continually in your freezer in a
large, heavy plastic bag reserved for the purpose. Add any clean vegetable peelings, raw poultry
bones, wings, hearts, gizzards (omit the liver—it is too strong in flavor), any unused meat parts,
even the chicken skin. Don't mix meat bones with poultry bones. Store them separately for two
different stocks.
Carrots, celery and onions are the three essential ingredients in a traditional stock.
Anything else is optional. If you use whole vegetables for your stock, you need not peel them,
just wash well. You can add onion with skin on. Just cut it into several large pieces for better
exposure in the liquid. Onion skins have no flavor (chew some to test this for yourself), but they
give a pleasing brownish tinge to the stock. If you like a lighter, golden yellow color of a
traditional chicken soup, peel the onions.
The ratio of vegetables is not critical, but cooks typically add onion, carrot and celery in
the ratio of 2:2:1. A piece of parsnip, parsley root or celeriac gives a fuller flavor. Don't be afraid
to add pieces of green pepper, even a chili, parsley stems, scallion tops, smaller chunks or
peelings of turnip to your freezer cache. Strong-flavored vegetables, like Brussels sprouts or
cabbage overpower everything else, so find another use for them.
TASTINGS Herbs in the soup
When you use herbs in a soup, add them toward the end of the cooking time. If
you add them too early, the aromatic compounds to which they owe their zest
evaporate with the steam while simmering, or break down in the heat. Robust,
hardy herbs like bay leaves and rosemary you can add early. The more gentle, the
more delicate the herb, the later you add it.
The remaining stock ingredients are spices, herbs and, of course, salt. Add about 1
tablespoon of salt for every gallon (4 liters) of liquid for average saltiness. Change the amount to
suit your cooking style. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the proportion of 1½ teaspoons to a
gallon of liquid really brings out the vegetable flavors (for more about MSG, see Flavorings
chapter). But if you use it, reduce the salt to 2½ teaspoons per gallon (4 liters).
Peppercorn is also an essential part of any good stock. Fifteen peppercorns per gallon (4
liters) gives you a mild flavor; half a teaspoon adds more zip. French bouquet garni, a mixture of
thyme, bay leaf and parsley sprigs, is also traditional, but here you are on your own. You can
modify or leave out herbs, depending on the end purpose of your stock, available ingredients or
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