Back To Basics - Soup Stocks

"Within the formal culinary world all soups begin with one thing: a
good stock.

“Stock” may be simply defined as a flavoured liquid derived from
bones, meats, vegetables, and/or herbs. Saying that, however,
encompasses a great deal. The vast majority of the soups, stews, and sauces of the classical repertoire are derived from a small handful of stocks: white and brown veal stock, chicken stock, vegetable stock, and fish stock or fumet. In French, stocks are referred to as "fonds de cuisine", or foundations of cooking, indicating their primary importance.

Classically, the liquid is termed a "stock" if the flavour comes primarily from bones; a "broth" if the flavour comes primarily from the meat." However, today the terms stock and broth are used interchangeably.

"When making a stock, bones of the appropriate type are immersed in cold water, and brought slowly to a simmer (not a boil). As the proteins and impurities cook out of the bones they float to the top in a grey-brown foam, which is skimmed off using a strainer. When the bulk of the impurities have been skimmed away, various vegetables and aromatics will be added to help flavour the liquid."

Today I bring you five different soup stock recipes. Beef, turkey, fish, vegetable, and kombu dashi.

Source quoted: Google Answers/chromedome-ga

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Calling all cooks! Gooseberry Patch is looking for your favorite original, never-fail recipes to include in their newest cookbooks. Main dishes, desserts, sides, beverages, appetizers...you name it, they want it. Best of all, if they use your recipe, they'll send you a FREE copy of the cookbook when it's printed. Click here to send them.

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Beef Stock

Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time over 2 hours

Ingredients

1kg/ 2 +1/4lb beef bones
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 onions, peeled and quartered
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
8 peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves
3-4 fresh parsley stalks
1 sprig fresh thyme

Method
1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Put the bones in a roasting tin and bake until well browned.
3. Put the carrot, onion and celery in another roasting tin and toss in the oil. Bake until well browned.
4. Put the vegetables and the bones in a large pan and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley and thyme. Cover with water.
5. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that has formed. Cover and simmer very gently for 3-4 hours. From time to time, skim off any scum that forms. Strain into a large bowl and allow to cool. Chill overnight. Skim off any fat that has formed on the surface.
6. Use within 3 days or freeze. To freeze, reduce the stock by half by boiling vigorously and cool. Pour into ice-cube trays and freeze. When frozen put the cubes into a bag, label it, and when you want to use one, just put in a jug and add boiling water to dissolve the cube.

Source: BBC-Food

Basic Fish Stock

Summary:

Making fish stock is actually very easy. The hardest part is finding a good source for fish bones. Befriend the people at your local fish market or frequent the seafood counter at the local grocery store. Be sure to get the remains from only white-fleshed fish, otherwise the stock may be too oily.

Makes about 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds bones and heads from white-fleshed fish (such as monkfish, turbot, red snapper, stirped bass, porgy, grouper, and/or cod), gills removed and bones and heads rinsed well
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves
• 4 sprig thyme
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 10 cups cold water
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
Directions:


Place the pot over medium heat, add the fish bones and heads, onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook, covered, without stirring, for about 8 minutes.

Add the water and wine and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, skimming away any foam that appears, for 25 minutes.

Strain the stock, using the back of a wooden spoon to press gently on the solids. Discard the solids. Set the stock aside to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe Source:
Hal Mehlman/Washington Post

Vegetable Stock

Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 onions, peeled and quartered
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
½ bulb fennel, roughly chopped
stalk from a head of broccoli, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes
8 button mushrooms, halved
6 black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
3 fresh parsley stalks

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer very gently for 20-30 minutes. Strain into a large bowl and allow to cool.
2. Use within 3 days or freeze. To freeze, reduce the stock by half by boiling vigorously and cool. Pour into ice-cube trays and freeze. When frozen put the cubes into a bag, label it, and when you want to use one, just put in a jug and add boiling water to dissolve the cube.

Source BBC-Food

Kombu Dashi Stock

Summary:

Dashi is a basic stock used widely in Japanese cooking. This version is made with only kombu (dried kelp).

We found kombu at some Whole Foods Markets.

Makes enough for 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cold water
• 1 4-inch-square piece dried kombu (Japanese kelp)
Directions:


The preferred way to make this stock is to let the water and kombu soak overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. There is no need to apply heat.

Alternatively, put the cold water in a saucepan and add the kombu. Allow 15 minutes for the kombu to infuse the water and then turn the heat on to medium-high. As bubbles start to appear, discard the kombu (or it will become bitter) and remove the pan from the heat.


Recipe Source:
From food writer Yukari Pratt.

6 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 33mg sodium, 1g carbohydrates, 0g dietary fiber, 0g protein.

Turkey Stock

A rich stock makes for superior gravy or day-after soup. To achieve depth of flavor, cook with roasted rather than raw turkey parts. You can make this stock up to 3 days in advance, or further ahead if you plan to freeze it. Skim off the congealed fat before using.

About 12 cups

Ingredients:

• 7 pounds turkey parts, such as wings, thighs and drumsticks
• 1 large onion, cut into thick slices
• 1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 large stalk celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 quarts water

Directions:

Place the turkey parts in a single layer in a large roasting pan and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, until well browned.

Transfer the roasted turkey parts to a large pot, reserving the roasting pan. Use a fat separator cup to isolate the fat from the drippings, and reserve both to make Turkey Gravy; they may be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

To the pot of roasted turkey parts, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt and several pinches of pepper along with 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over 2 burners on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, using a nonmetal spoon to scrape and loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside for a minute to cool slightly, then carefully pour the liquid from the roasting pan into the pot and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially and cook for about 2 1/2 hours. Strain the stock, discarding the solids or removing the turkey meat from the bones and reserving the meat for another use. Set the stock aside to cool slightly before storing.

Ingredients too variable for meaningful nutritional analysis.

Recipe Source:
Adapted from the November 2003 issue of Food & Wine magazine.

Go Red for Women

Today I was at the supermarket and came across Scotch Broth (Special Collection) by Campbell's. I know we had a reader previously searching for that.

Campbell's is always coming out with new things to try and it provides a good fast meal especially for those who may not be able to cook or need to pack a lunch. Two of my favorites happens to be the Italian Sausage with Pasta and Pepperoni and the Italian Wedding Soup.

Campbell's has also teamed up with the American Heart Association to help wipe out heart disease—the No. 1 killer of American women. You can read more about the Go Red For Women's Heart Health campaign here. http://www.goredwithcampbells.com/

Pea and Ham soup

Preparation Time
15 minutes

Cooking Time
90 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
500g packet dried green split peas
4 cups (1L) chicken stock
1kg ham hock or bacon bones
1 onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
salt and cracked black pepper
crusty bread, to serve

Method
Place split peas in a sieve and run under cold water for a minute or until water turns clear. Set aside. Place stock, 2L water, ham hock, vegetables and split peas in a large saucepan. Cook soup over medium high heat for 1 1/2 hours, skimming the surface occasionally to remove any foam. Remove from heat. Remove ham hock from the soup and set aside for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile blend the soup with a hand-held blender until pureed. Remove fat from ham hock, shred meat roughly and return to the soup. Serve with crusty bread.

Notes & tips
Ham hocks or bacon bones are available from butchers and most supermarkets. For a more satisfying dish, use ham hocks as they're meatier. If frozen, thaw completely before cooking.

Source: Simply Food - June 2007 , Page 5
Recipe by Kate Murdoch

Gazpacho With Basil and Lemon

"The recipe calls for both a food processor and a blender -- the processor makes it easier to combine all the ingredients in one fell swoop, while the close confines of a blender yield a finer end result.

By all means adapt this recipe, adding more water for a thinner, even more pourable version, more basil for a more pronounced herbaceous quality, or more jalapeño (or a few of its seeds) for extra heat.

This recipe makes about five cups of gazpacho, which will fill most processors and/or blenders to near capacity. If you want to make more, just double or triple the recipe, make it in batches, and combine the batches in a large pitcher or two. In theory, it will keep for about two days in the refrigerator, though it's unlikely to be there that long -- gazpacho, especially on hot summer days, is addictive and tends to go fast."

1 cup 2- or 3-day-old bread, crust removed, in 1/4-inch cubes (from about 4 ounces of bread with the crust on)
1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (4 or 5 tomatoes)
1 cup cold water, preferably purified or bottled water, plus more for soaking bread if necessary
Kosher salt
Black pepper in a mill
Pinch of sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably from Andalusia or at least from Spain, plus an additional 1/3 cup if serving from a bowl
1 large clove garlic, mashed to a paste with a sprinkle of salt
Pinch of ground cumin
1 Kirby (pickling) cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon diced red onion
2 teaspoons deseeded, minced jalapeño pepper
3/4 cup (loosely packed) thinly sliced basil leaves
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, preferably Spanish vinagre de Jerez
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Minced cucumber, red and/or green pepper, tomato, and/or small, toasted croutons (optional, for garnish, if serving in bowls)

• Put the bread in a small bowl.

• Remove the stems from the tomatoes and cut off just enough of their tops to expose the seeds. One by one, hold the tomatoes over the bread and squeeze the seeds into the bowl. If the tomato seeds and tomato water do not cover the bread, add just enough cold water to cover.

• Roughly chop the tomatoes, put them in a separate bowl, and season them with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.

• Let the tomatoes and bread sit for 15 minutes.

• By hand, squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the bread and put the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add about a tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, cumin and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until the bread, garlic and oil have come together into a paste, about 20 seconds.

• Add the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño pepper to the bowl and process until the ingredients have been blended together. Add basil leaves, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil (if serving the gazpacho from a bowl, add the extra 1/3 cup olive oil to thicken and enrich the soup further), then add the water.

• Transfer the gazpacho to the bowl of a standing blender and process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt, pepper, lemon juice and vinegar if necessary.

• Cover and refrigerate the gazpacho for at least 12 hours, or chill in the freezer for 1 hour before serving. If serving in bowls, garnish with the minced cucumber, red and/or green pepper, tomato, and/or small, toasted croutons.


Makes about 5 cups. Serves 4 to 6 as a soup, or 10 as a refreshment (4 ounces per glass).

By Andrew Friedman/online.wsj.com

Chili

Reader Greg Elliot sent me this email and he has provided a copy of his adaptation for Chili. He writes...

I came across your site while searching for a chili recipe with navy beans.

We prepare a week's worth of soups / stews / pasta / casseroles every weekend so we can don't have to cook during a hectic work week. We used your recipe as a "base" for a batch of chili that came out so tasty we wrote it down to add to our recipe box. I figured since your recipe was the inspiration I should at least get you a copy:

2 tablespoons butter
1 lb. dried navy beans
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2-4 cups chicken stock
3 cups tomato sauce
3/4-cup onion, diced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne (red) pepper (optional)

Wash beans and put in a stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a hard boil. Rinse and return to pot and simmer for an hour.

While the beans simmer, in a large sauté pan melt the butter. Sauté the garlic and onion. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Add ½ - 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne (red) pepper if you like a "zingier" chili. Lower the heat and cook meat mixture 20-30 minutes until thickened. Keep meat mixture on lowest heat until beans are done. Stir and add chicken stock as necessary to keep meat mixture from sticking. Once the beans are done, drain and return to the stockpot. Add the meat mixture to the beans. Simmer for 20-30 minutes and add chicken stock as necessary to keep the chili at your desired thickness. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Thanks Greg for submitting it!

Lamb, Barley and Winter Vegetable Soup

Serves 6

800g-1kg neck of lamb, on the bone, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 4 pieces
55g ( 1/4 cup) pearl barley
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
250g swede, diced
1 garlic clove
2 sprigs thyme, tied together
2 bay leaves
Salt/freshly ground black pepper
6 small chat potatoes, halved
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
2 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, to serve
Caerphilly cheese (Welsh cheddar-style cheese) or a strong, bitey cheddar, to serve

Put the lamb neck pieces and pearl barley in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming any fat and impurities that rise to the surface. Add the onion, carrots, swede, garlic, thyme and bay leaves and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Bring back to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked. Remove from the heat.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the lamb neck pieces from the soup; cool slightly, then remove the meat from the bone.

Add the lamb meat back to the soup with the sliced leek and return to medium heat for 5 minutes. Check the seasoning and stir in the parsley.

Ladle the soup into deep serving bowls. Serve with crusty bread and a chunk of cheese.

Chilled Yellow Tomato Soup with Black-olive Cream

Serves 8

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large leeks, white part only, well cleaned and chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
2 pounds plum tomatoes, preferably yellow, trimmed and cut in chunks
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olivada (black olive puree), or 1/2 cup pitted imported black olives pureed with 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 red plum tomatoes, cored and diced, for garnish

To make soup, melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add leeks, thyme and bay leaves. Cover, and cook 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer, and cook, uncovered, until tomatoes are soft and soup has thickened, about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Cool slightly, remove bay leaves, and puree in a food processor. Place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 5 hours. The soup can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead.

To make olive cream, put olivada in a small bowl and whisk in the cream. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning if needed. Ladle into chilled bowls, and drizzle with the black olive cream. Sprinkle with diced red tomatoes, and serve.

Note: Warmed and with the addition of minced fresh vegetables and herbs, the soup can be used as a sauce for rice salad. Warmed and with the addition of leftover cooked seafood, the soup makes a pleasing pasta sauce, as well.

Adapted from
"The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook" (St. Martin's Press, 271 pp., $32) via mercurynews.com

Fruit Soups

Fruit soups are served hot or cold depending on the recipe. They are served when fruit is in season typically during hot weather months.

Fruit soups may include milk, dumplings, spices, or alcoholic beverages such as brandy or champagne.

Cold fruit soups are most common in Scandinavian, Baltic and Eastern European cuisine while hot or warm fruit soups with meat appear in Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Chinese cuisines. Fruit soups are uncommon in certain countries such as Africa and Western Europe.

Hope you enjoy this week's selection of summer soups.

You may also review additional fruit soups posted in recent months in our recipe index.

Warm Berry Soup

Take some fresh strawberries, boysenberries, bluberries, and blackberries with a little bit of water and blend it up in a blender on high speed. Then use a strainer to get the seeds out. You can use the back of a ladle to push it through. Just swirl the ladle around in the strainer.

The next step is to put it on some heat and add fresh mint and some balsamic vinegar. The balsamic vinegar is one of the keys of the dish, don't over due it. Add a dash of sugar, fresh mint and then add a little bit of ice cream.

You can drop a dollop of mint ice cream right in the middle of the bowl. The warm soup makes the ice cream melt. Garnish it with a little bit of fresh mint. It's quick, easy and very healthy. Berries are loaded with antioxidants. You can serve the summer soup with biscotti.

By Joe Bartolotta/todaystmj4.com

Iced Melon Soup with a Minted Goats' Cheese Bavarois

(Serves four)

1 Charentais melon (weighing 1kg)
200g iced mineral water
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
20cl melon liqueur
10cl mint liqueur
1/2 bunch of mint

For the goats' cheese bavarois

120g fresh goats' cheese
1 splash mint liqueur
4 gelatine leaves
150g whipped whipping cream
40g warm milk
Fresh mint leaves

Method

Cut out a few melon balls (per portion) with a Parisienne cutter for garnish. Blend the rest of the melon and the other ingredients. Chill.

To make the bavarois, mix the cheese till smooth. Dissolve the soaked gelatine in warm milk and add it to the cheese, together with the whipped cream and some shredded mint leaves. Check the seasoning, portion and leave to set.

Put the goats' cheese bavarois in a hollow bowl with a few melon balls. Pour over the soup. Decorate with a mint leaf and, optionally, a touch of green olive oil.

By Anne-Sophie Pic/Caterer & Hotelkeeper

Low Fat Peach Soup with Blueberries

12 medium sized peaches or 3 ½ cups of peaches in light syrup (optional)
6 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 tbs. honey
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 bunch fresh mint
2 pints blueberries

If using fresh peaches: Put peaches, 3 or 4 at a time, into the boiling water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the water and set into a bowl of cold water. This will allow the skin to peel off easily and loosen the pit. Do this with all of the peaches, and chop into small pieces.

In a blender, combine 1 1/2 cup peaches with 3/4 cups of cold water, honey, lemon juice, 1/2 cup yogurt. Puree until smooth and pour into a large bowl. Puree 1 1/2 more cups of peaches with 3/4 cups water, 1/2 cup yogurt, the spices and the vanilla.

Mix the purees together and add the remaining 1 cup of chopped peaches, and then add the mint and the blueberries.

Chill for at least 2 hours.

Recipe by Chef George/ wtnh.com

Yogurt Soup with Fresh Cucumber and Ruccola

Pasta della Mamma's head chef Alexei Semyonov shares a recipe for a cold cream soup.

For three portions:

180g Bulgarian red pepper
6g garlic
8g cilantro
2g hot chili pepper
450g natural bio-yogurt
60ml still mineral water
30g cucumber (minus seeds and skin)
5g ruccola

Bake the whole Bulgarian red pepper in an oven, then remove seeds and skin. Blend it in a blender together with peeled garlic, cilantro and chili pepper, until the mixture becomes a homogenous mass. Add the yogurt and mineral water, and mix.

Serve in bowls together with ruccola and pieces of fresh cucumber cleaned of seeds and skin. Add salt to taste.

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup

6 cups cantaloupe (about a 4-pound melon), peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir. Place half the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Puree the other half of the mixture and combine both batches. Taste and add cinnamon, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Approximate values per serving: 100 calories, 1 g fat, trace saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 15 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 9 percent of calories from fat.

By chef Gwen Ashley Walters/Arizona Republic