Back to Butter: A Traditional Foods Cookbook - Nourishing Recipes Inspired by Our Ancestors (13 page)

CHAPTER 7
SOUP’S ON

ON A FARM, death and life rest a nose’s distance away from a naked eye. A baby lamb fills every acre with exuberant joy, whereas a stillborn aches the heart, no matter how many times it’s experienced. My first slaughter was a rooster. We had too many, and on a farm, hard decisions are inevitable. I didn’t know what to expect, but I certainly didn’t anticipate the peace, quiet, and respect that permeated the surroundings. An animal that lives an appropriate life, with space, clean water, and proper food, one chosen for death in order to nourish another body, dies a peaceful death—and becomes the most amazing chicken soup that’s ever been eaten.

Slow-cooked homemade stocks are a cook’s key to a strong and robust family! The 24-hour cook time pulls more gelatin and nutrients from the bones, serving as nature’s protection from osteoporosis and weak joints. Any combination of chicken pieces will work. Backs and wings, left over from breaking down a whole chicken or purchased from your butcher, serve as inexpensive and effective stock meat. And this may sound odd, but chicken feet add tons of joint-protecting gelatin to the stock, which can actually make the stock “gel” in the fridge. Sip a warm cup of homemade stock first thing in the morning with nothing but a pinch of sea salt. My husband and I do this all the time and it makes for a great start to the day.

5 quarts (4.5 L) cold water

2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar

2 pounds (908 g) bone-in chicken, any cut or size

4 chicken feet, optional

2 cups (240 g) carrots cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces

3 cups (300 g) celery cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, leaves left on

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

10 whole black peppercorns

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

2 cloves garlic, whole and unpeeled

8 sprigs parsley

In a large-size pot, combine the cold water, apple cider vinegar, chicken, and chicken feet, if using. Allow the chicken to soak in the vinegar water for 1 hour, drawing additional calcium from the bones.

Bring the water to a boil over high heat, uncovered. A foamy scum may develop on the surface of the stock once a rolling boil is reached. Skim this and discard. The foam is natural coagulated lipoprotein. It’s not harmful but it isn’t pretty either and may cloud the stock. Add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, to the pot (this will be added at the very end of cooking).

Cover and reduce the heat to low, maintaining a gentle simmer. It’s important to keep the pot covered, as this allows the stock to bubble away for hours without fear of the liquid evaporating. Simmer for anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, depending on how much time you have, adjusting the heat up or down as needed. A long cooking time allows more digestion-enhancing gelatin to be released from the bones into the stock and enhances its flavor. If you have time for a 24-hour stock, occasionally check the stock and, if necessary, add more water to ensure the meat is covered.

YIELD: ABOUT 4 QUARTS (3.6 L)

Ten minutes before removing the stock from the heat, add the parsley. Once done, remove from the heat and cool, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Strain the stock using a chinois (see Note) or large-size strainer. Stock may be used immediately. However, when fully cooled in the refrigerator, any fat will rise to the surface and congeal. Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop off the fat and set aside for reuse (it’s great for sautéing vegetables or frying eggs). This step allows the cook to control the amount of fat in the final dish.

RECIPE NOTE

A chinois is the Rolls Royce of kitchen strainers. Its long handle and fine mesh make straining something such as bone broth simple and efficient. When the stock is passed through the chinois only one time, it becomes clear and perfectly strained. Because a common kitchen strainer has much larger holes than a chinois, many passes and usually cheesecloth are required to reach a comparable result.

Both ox tails and short ribs are excellent choices for bone-in cuts of meat. Many grocery stores already have knuckle and marrowbones packaged in the freezer section for purchase. If not, ask a favorite butcher to save them for you. Better yet, seek out grass-fed beef from a local farmers’ market; it will be a much less expensive option.

6 quarts (5.4 L) cold water

2 pounds (908 g) beef bone marrow and/or knuckle bones

2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar

2 pounds (908 g) bone-in cuts of meat

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

3 cups (360 g) carrots cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces

3 cups (300 g) celery cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, leaves left on

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

10 whole black peppercorns

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

2 cloves garlic, whole and unpeeled

8 sprigs parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6). In a 12-quart (11 L) stockpot, combine the water, bone marrow, and apple cider vinegar. Allow the bones to soak in the solution for 1 hour, to draw out calcium from the bones.

Reserving the soaking solution in the stockpot, place the meaty beef bones on a sheet pan. Sprinkle evenly with sea salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 to 60 minutes to produce a crispy, brown exterior, which will ultimately help flavor the stock. Note that some cuts, such as oxtails, require less cooking time.

Once the bones brown, remove them from the oven. Using tongs, add them back to the stockpot. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, uncovered. A foamy scum may develop on the surface of the stock once a rolling boil is reached. If you like you can skim this and discard. The foam is natural coagulated lipoprotein. It’s not harmful but it isn’t pretty either and may cloud the stock.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, to the pot (this will be added at the very end of cooking), cover and reduce the heat to low, maintaining a gentle simmer. It’s important to keep the stockpot covered, as this allows the stock to bubble away for hours without fear of the liquid evaporating. Simmer for anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, depending on how much time you have, adjusting the heat up or down as
needed. A long cooking time allows more digestion-enhancing gelatin to be released from the bones into the stock and enhances its flavor. If you have time for the 24-hour stock, occasionally check to ensure the meat is covered with liquid, adding more water as needed.

YIELD: ABOUT 4 QUARTS (3.8 L)

Ten minutes before removing the stock from the heat, add the parsley. Once done, remove from the heat and cool uncovered for 10 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, remove large bones and discard. Strain the stock with a chinois (
page 83
) or large strainer. The stock may be used immediately. However, when fully cooled in the refrigerator, any fat will rise to the surface and congeal. Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop off the fat and set aside for reuse (it’s great for sautéing vegetables or frying eggs). This step allows the cook to control the amount of fat in the final dish.

RECIPE NOTE

Store stock in a glass container in the fridge for up to a week, or stock may also be pressure canned to remain shelf-stable for up to a year. Stocks may be stored in the freezer for several months. To freeze, add stock to a 1-quart (1 L) glass Mason jar, making sure to allow 3 inches (7.5 cm) of room in the jar for the liquid to expand in the freezer. Resist boiling the jar in a pot of water to thaw; the glass jar can break. Instead, defrost on the counter, in the fridge, or in a pinch, in a bowl of warm water.

Zucchini Soup with Corn & Pancetta Stuffing

This soup originated as a recipe for a pilot TV show my husband and I created called
Farm to Table
. The show never made it off the ground, but the recipe has become a staple in our kitchen. The idea of “stuffing” soup comes from a wonderful market in Baltimore, Maryland, called Atwater’s. Ned Atwater always serves the customers seated at the stools of his soup bar with something special scooped into the middle of their piping hot soup.

FOR SOUP:

1 tablespoon (14 g) coconut oil

2 cups (320 g) medium diced yellow onion

6 cups (720 g) medium diced zucchini (about 5 medium)

4 cups (940 ml) homemade chicken stock (
page 82
)

2 teaspoons (12 g) sea salt, plus more to taste

1
/
2
teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

FOR STUFFING:

2 ounces (56 g) thinly sliced pancetta, diced into
1
/
2
-inch (1.3 cm) pieces

1
/
2
pound (225 g) mild or hot uncooked, casing-free Italian chicken or turkey sausage

2 cups (300 g) fresh corn cut off the cob (about 2 ears)

Sprouts, for garnish

TO MAKE THE SOUP: In a medium-size pot over medium heat, melt the coconut oil until glistening. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the zucchini, chicken stock, sea salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a rolling simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, until softened.

Remove from the heat and allow the soup to cool for 5 minutes. Purée the mixture using an immersion blender or in a regular blender. Season with sea salt and pepper, if necessary.

TO MAKE THE STUFFING: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the pancetta and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer pancetta to a paper towel–lined plate.

Add the sausage to the pan and break apart using a wooden spoon or potato masher. Cook for 5 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and lightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the pancetta back to the pan. Stir to combine. Fold in the fresh corn until fully combined.

To serve, ladle into soup bowls and place a large spoonful of the stuffing into the center of each bowl. Garnish with sprouts and serve warm.

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

This soup is a great example of how little effort a good soup takes when started with an excellent homemade stock. If you don’t own an immersion blender, a regular blender will bring the same result. Broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus may be chosen as the main ingredient, allowing the same basic recipe to be taken in three completely different directions. I’ve been known to spend the whole day eating only this soup to give my digestive system a welcomed break.