An Exaltation of Soups (60 page)
Read An Exaltation of Soups Online
Authors: Patricia Solley
N
OTE
: If you are forced by necessity to substitute other clams, as most of us are, you may puree a little cooked spinach with the onion and clams to get the distinctive green color.
O
P
REPARE
1. Mince, then puree the clams with their liquid in a blender. Toss in the onions and blend until pureed.
2. Prep the remaining ingredients as directed in the recipe list.
O
C
OOK
1. Pour the clam mixture into a large soup pot, then add the stock and season to taste. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring well, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Beat the egg yolks, then whisk a cup of simmering soup into them. Pour the egg-yolk mixture into the saucepan, stirring constantly until the soup has thickened.
O
S
ERVE
Stir in the cream and reheat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into delicate cups, sprinkle with a little nutmeg, and serve immediately.
M
ISS
P
IGGY ON
C
LAMS
“I simply cannot imagine why anyone would eat something slimy served in an ashtray.”
OLAND
MUSHROOM SOUP
ZUPA GRZYBOWA
Serves 6 to 8
T
HERE ARE
many versions of this soup—some very chunky with vegetables and barley, some thickened with sour cream at the end, some with square pasta bits, called
lazankami.
I especially love this variation, though. It’s light and pure, intensely mushroom, a simple but elegant beginning to your Christmas Eve meal.
1 cup dried bolete
(porcini)
mushrooms
4 cups warm water
6 cups Vegetable Stock
2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup square pasta
(lazankami;
optional)
Minced fresh dill or parsley, for garnish
O
P
REPARE
1. Soak the dried mushrooms overnight in the warm water. Drain the soaked mushrooms, reserving the liquid.
2. Prep the remaining ingredients as directed in the recipe list.
O
C
OOK
Bring the combined stock and reserved mushroom liquid to a boil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Chop the rehydrated mushrooms into bite-size pieces and add them to the pot along with the fresh mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer the soup for 1 hour. If you wish to add the pasta, cook it in a separate pot while the soup is simmering and add it just as you’re ready to serve the soup.
O
S
ERVE
Ladle the soup into delicate bowls and garnish with minced dill or parsley.
R
IDDLE
M
E
T
HIS
Q
UESTION
: What am I? With quite a big head, I stand easily on one foot. I’m quite small, but can knock down the strongest. I can’t walk a single step, but I arrive each day with great speed—even so, anyone who wants me has to come find me. To those who love me, I will sacrifice myself. If you’ve guessed my riddle and come looking for me, don’t mistake me for my bastard brothers, for they’ll kill you.
P
OLISH
W
IGILIA
Zupa gryzbowa
traditionally begins the Christmas celebration at
Wigilia
(Latin
vigiliare
, the last day of fasting), but rarely today includes all the superstitions of the olden days. This last meal of the fast never began until the first star appeared in the sky on Christmas Eve. Families were careful to seat an even number of people around the table, and that included a “traveler” who would otherwise be alone—an orphan, a stranger, a widow, or other single person. The meal began with the ritual breaking and sharing of
oplatek
, a wafer, then the soup was served—the start of an uneven total number of dishes, which were thought to bring good luck and a bountiful harvest in the next year.
UERTO
R
ICO
CHRISTMAS CHICKEN SOUP
ASOPAO DE POLLO
W
HAT ON
E
ARTH
I
S
A
NNATTO
?
Basically a color. And a huge color, at that. The seeds of tropical New World tree
Bixa orellana
are sealed in a hard red pulp that is practically tasteless, but can it ever turn things orangey-red! Ever wonder about the origin of the term “redskin” for Native American? Likely it began with Spanish explorers who were amazed by the Carib tribes who dyed their skin with a liquid made from these seeds. In Mexico, Aztecs used to infuse their chocolate drinks with it, likely for its high fat content. The seeds are harvested from the brilliant red spiny pods of this evergreen tree and can be used whole to color cooking oil or lard, or ground into a paste. Because it has no real flavor, only a little aroma, it has been a popular additive in butter, margarines, cheeses, and lipstick.
Serves 6 to 8
A
SOPAO
IS HUGELY
festive and Christmassy, with its bright green peas and ribbons of pimiento. Thick with chicken and rice, the soup is both warming and filling. It’s traditional to start from scratch with a whole chicken, but this variation is so easy to prepare—once you make or get hold of the traditional seasonings—and so elegant to serve and eat without all those chicken bones, that, well, I just can’t resist.
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 to 4 teaspoons
adobo
seasoning, or to taste
3 tablespoons annatto oil
4 ounces smoked ham, diced
½ cup
recaíto
1 cup finely chopped ripe or canned tomatoes
½ cup
alcaparrado
6 cups water or Chicken Stock
1 cup raw short-grain rice
Salt and pepper to taste
G
ARNISH
½ cup cooked petite green peas
½ cup julienned pimiento
O
P
REPARE
1. Season the chicken pieces with
adobo
and briefly marinate.
2. Prep the ingredients as directed in the recipe list, including making the annatto oil, the
recaíto
, and the
alcaparrado.
3. Prepare the peas and pimiento for the garnish.
O
C
OOK
1. Heat the annatto oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, then sauté the ham pieces for a few minutes. Stir in the
recaíto
, tomatoes, and
alcaparrado
, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Toss in the chicken, stirring to cover the pieces completely with the sauce, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
3. Pour the water or stock into the soup pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice, season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
O
S
ERVE
Ladle the soup into festive bowls and garnish with the peas and ribbons of pimiento.
USSIA
CHRISTMAS BEET SOUP
BORSHCH
A
NTON
C
HEKHOV
W
AXES
R
HAPSODIC
But even better is a borshch, prepared with beets, Ukrainian style, you know the way, my friend, with ham and country sausages. lt should be served with sour cream, of course, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley and dill.