Chicken Pho

I was fighting a cold this weekend (the first of the season for me, despite someone else in the household being sick at any given time this winter), and was in the mood for a hot and steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup…

For the broth

• 1 picnic pack chicken (4 drumsticks and 2 breasts, bone-in)
• 2 whole onions, unpeeled
• 4 inch knob ginger, unpeeled
• 4 whole cloves, toasted
• 2 TBSP coriander seeds, toasted
• 4 star anise pods, toasted
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2-3 TBSP fish sauce
• 1 TBSP palm sugar

Place the onions and ginger on a baking sheet and place under the broiler set on high.  The top of the onion should be about 3 inches from the heat source.  Broil for about 15 minutes when onions are soft and charred.  Once cool enough to handle, peel ginger with a spoon and onions.

Take the chicken and whack the bones open on 2-3 inch sections with a cleaver to expose the marrow.

While aromatics are in the oven, place chicken in a pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil and parboil for 3 minutes.  Dump out the water and rinse the chicken in a colander.  Clean the pot and add the broth and more cold water, about 4 cups.

Add the onion, ginger (cut into 4 pieces), cilantro stems, toasted spices to the pot and bring to a boil, then immediately set to simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and cover the pot partially.  Continue to simmer.  Skim off impurities that float to the top every 20-30 minutes

Let chicken cool and remove meat from the bones.  Return bones to the pot.  Continue to simmer for 1.5 hours.  Add fish sauce and palm sugar to taste

Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Place a serving of rice noodles in a bowl,  add the chicken and label the hot broth over the noodles.  Garnish with bean sprouts, Thai basil, chili pepper, lime wedge and cilantro.

Serve with ‘ginger scallion dipping sauce’ on the side.

No-Cream Mushroom Soup

Little S loves mushrooms, so this was a hit!  We actually used it as a sauce for store bought mushroom ravioli.  Great Meatless Monday meal.

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 4 oz Japanese shemeji mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 cups low sodium chicken stock

1. Add 2 tbsp butter to a medium pot and heat on medium
2. Once melted, add onions and cook until softened, about 7 minutes
3. Add remaining butter and oil.  Add garlic, thyme and mushrooms.  Cook until mushrooms are soft, stirring often.  Do not allow onions to burn.
4. Sprinkle flour and stir to cook
5. Add chicken broth and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Take soup off the heat.  Remove some of the mushrooms for garnish.  Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Mom’s Barley Soup with Swiss Chard and Sausage (ingredient list only)

• 3 sausage links, casings removed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup sliced leeks
• celery, carrot
• sage, thyme
• 8 oz mushrooms
• 2 cups quick barley
• Chicken broth
• Swiss chard, chopped

Emeril’s Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise 1/2-inch thick pieces
4 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 bay leaves
9 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-and-smoked-sausage-gumbo-with-white-rice-recipe.html

In a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until well browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Season the chicken (may use paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, salt, pepper) and add in batches to the fat remaining in the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, let cool, and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup oil and the flour in the same Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, to make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.

Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring, slowly add the chicken stock, and cook, stirring, until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add the reserved chicken to the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.

Remove the pot from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken thighs from the gumbo and place on a cutting board to cool slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Pull the chicken meat from the bones and shred, discarding the bones. Return the meat to the gumbo and stir in the green onions and parsley

Spoon rice into the bottom of deep bowls or large cups and ladle the gumbo on top. Serve, passing hot sauce on the side.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-and-smoked-sausage-gumbo-with-white-rice-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Noodle Soup

After just one bite, B determined this to be a keeper!

Yields about 6 dinner sized portions

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds bone-in or boneless beef short ribs.  If using boneless, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 4 small stalks of lemongrass, minced (I chop mine into little rounds, pound in the mortar and pestle, then finish in the food processor)
• 2 inch knob of ginger, split and smashed
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 star anise pods
• dried chilis to taste
• 3 TBSP tomato paste
• 6 cups beef broth
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 4 inches of daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 2 TBSP fish sauce to taste
• Baby bok choy, about 1 1/2 bunches per person
• Thai basil for garnish
• 3 pounds fresh rice noodles

INSTRUCTIONS

• Brown the beef on all sides in batches (about 8 minutes per batch).  Once browned, remove beef from the pot
• Add  the onions and cook for about 10 minutes until golden brown, but still soft
• Add the garlic, cook for a few seconds, the add the lemongrass, chili and ginger.  Sauté to let the flavors bloom
• Add the tomato paste and salute till incorporated in he mixture
• Re-introduce the beef and any rendered juices
• Add the beef broth.  Be sure to fully cover the beef well.
• Bring to a simmer.
• Cover the top with foil, place the lid on and place in a 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours till meat is tender
• Remove from the oven.  If used bone-in beef, remove the beef from the bone, then cut into bit-sized chunks
• Add the carrot and daikon and simmer over the stove until the veggies are soft and release their sweetness
• In the meantime, boil some water and boil the bok choy.  Place in individual bowls.  Using the same water, cook the rice noodles, just till softened and heated through (they are already cooked).  Place the noodles over the bok choy
• Ladle the soup over the noodles and garnish with basil

Seafood Stew (modified Ciopinno)

Using up left over fish in the freezer, I pay homage to the City By the Bay, making cioppino.  What I have hears is that ciopinno did not originate from Italy as the name may suggest.  It is a San Francisco dish created by fisherman who wanted to make use of the leftovers from their catch.  The very nature of using whatever is around lends to the variety of seafood that is in the dish.  Apparently some purist believe that a fish stew is not cioppino without the one of the Bay Area’s best catches, dungeness crab.  Therefore, I will be calling this simply a stew.

INGREDIENTS
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 large can of stewed tomatoes, no salt added
1 can of chicken broth
1 c white wine
bay leaf
handful of basil
salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs thyme
a bit of oregano
handful parsley
chili flakes
assortment of seafood (shrimp, clams, fish, calamari)

soften onion and garlic for about 10 minutes
add wine until alcohol evaporated, then add the rest of the inredients except for the seafood
simmer for about 1 hour
add seafood and serve immediately

*Cleaning Shellfish*
remove shellfiish

Thai-inspired fish soup

We had left over pompano from our CNY celebration the night before, so I decided to try a tom yum style soup. Although traditionally the soup base is made with a seafood base, I used water and chicken and waited to add the fish at the last moment to ensure tender meat.

SOUP BASE
Water
Chicken broth
Fish Sauce
Salt
Thai Chili to taste
Galangal, sliced
Garlic, smashed
Kaffir lime leaves
Shallot, thinly sliced
Lemongrass, sliced
Chili sauce cooked in oil (prepared in a jar)
Limes and Lemons, juice and rind – added towards the end

OTHER INGREDIENTS
Pampano added at the end of cooking
Mushrooms
Cilantro for garnish