Tag Archives: fennel

Down To Earth

At times it just comes down to basics. Favorite dishes using simple ingredients, handed down through each generation of women. Each woman adding their fingerprint on a family history. We are never alone in our kitchens. Our kitchens are crowded with a sense of that history. A Grandmother’s pottery mixing bowl, a well-used potato masher, an old Zeroll Co. ice-cream scoop (patent #20) are touchstones of things shared in an unbroken line.

Cabbage, potatoes and chicken although simple ingredients can be turned into something rich and satisfying. Chicken soup with cabbage and potatoes echoes a Eastern European history. Many cultures use these ingredients in ways that define them. It was a time when nothing was wasted. Chicken carcasses were turned into stock, along with onion and potato peels. Seasoning could be anything from vinegars, seeds or herbs. I love the idea of these benchmarks when I cook. Something old and something new arrive in steaming bowls of healthy goodness. In the remains of the day, food is still love.

CHICKEN, CABBAGE & POTATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups shredded white cabbage
  • 1/2 bulb of fennel, sliced thinly
  • 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 cups shredded chicken from roasted or rotisserie chicken
  • 6 cups chicken stock *(see note)
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar **
  • 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan, Pecorino or Gruyere cheese to top bowls of soup ***
  • Garnish with fennel fronds or chopped Italian parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook stirring often until onion is translucent, about 4-6 minutes. Add cabbage, fennel and garlic; cook stirring often until the cabbage and fennel soften, about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Stir in chicken stock, potatoes, and fennel seed. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, making sure potatoes are softened.
  3. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Spoon into bowls and top with desired cheese, fennel fronds or parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4-6

NOTES:

* I can’t say how important homemade chicken stock is to the overall quality of this soup. Consider taking the time for this (particularly on a quiet, cold winter’s day).

** Spanish sherry vinegar is equally important to the quality of this soup. I use Columela Reserva Sherry Vinegar, which can be found in many well-stocked grocery stores.

***If using Parmesan or Pecorino, shred these cheeses on a fine box shredder; if using Gruyere use the larger holes.

“Soup is the song of the hearth and the home.”

Stocking Up!

During the fall and winter there is nothing I enjoy more than a steaming bowl of soup. Commercial stocks are inexpensive, plentiful and convenient, but they will never replace homemade. I typically make 36 quarts of chicken, and 24 quarts of vegetable stock each season, and freeze it for future use. Not only does the house smell terrific while it simmers, it is the foundation for all sorts of delicious meals that include soups, stews and risotto. I find that vegetable stock in particular, benefits from a little love and attention to the ingredients.

If you roast or brown the vegetables before you assemble the stock, the caramelization improves the flavor profile. Adding dried porcini mushrooms and tomato paste will impart a savory or umami element that deepens the end result. Unlike chicken stock which is simmered up to 24 hours, vegetable stock is simmered no longer than 90 minutes. The addition of herbs and onion skins add flavor and color to the stock.

VEGETABLE STOCK

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups chopped onion (save the skins)
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 3 cups chopped carrot
  • 2 cups chopped parsnip
  • 1 cup chopped fennel bulb
  • 2 large garlic cloves, smashed (can leave skins on)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 large handfuls spinach

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Rehydrate dried mushrooms. Place the dried mushrooms in a 4 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup and pour 4 cups boiling water over them. Set aside.
  2. Brown the onions, celery, carrots, parsnips and fennel. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large stockpot. Add the chopped vegetables and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Cook over high heat for several minutes, stirring only occasionally. Be patient with the browning of the vegetables, as they have a high moisture content. It may take 10-15 minutes or longer to brown them.
  3. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to turn a rusty color.
  4. Add the mushrooms and their soaking water, the rosemary, thyme, onion skins, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley and 4 additional quarts of water. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low. After 45 minutes add spinach. Continue to simmer for a total of 90 minutes.
  5. Strain the stock with a basket skimmer or slotted spoon, removing all the big pieces of vegetables and mushroom. Discard or compost. Set up a large bowl with a wire mesh strainer in it. Line strainer with a layer of cheesecloth. Using a ladle or 2 cup measuring cup, pour stock through strainer. When the liquid slows down, you may have to change the cheesecloth.
  6. Pour into jars, or 1 quart plastic deli containers and chill or freeze. Make sure you leave 1 1/2 inches of headspace if freezing.

Yields: 4-5 quarts

“The secret to change, is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” –Socrates

Blog at WordPress.com.