For a sick day;-) Stock and soup!

Happy Tuesday!

Well, it's my oldest boy's first day of school. He got off to school without a hitch, no thanks to me. I woke up with a nasty headcold. Thankfully, I had made a breakfast casserole and coffeecake over the weekend so he and my husband ate that for breakfast before they left. But the headcold will explain why I'm writing a blog about soup and stock in the summer. Since I eat what I feel I need/want at that time, you are getting a blog about soup.

I know when you're sick, chicken soup is usually the food of choice. For me, chicken soup really doesn't entice me. I've made it from scratch and still no big thrill. When I say "scratch", I mean I make my own stock. I've been doing it for years. We call it "Liquid Gold" in our house because I find it so valuable and essential to all basic cooking. Homemade stock of any kind can raise the level of anything you make. It can be a lot of work, but it is so worth it. I don't know how people live without stock. When ever I make any kind of meat with bones, I save the bones to make stock. I even make stock when I buy rotisserie chicken (which isn't often). It's just that good.

After I make the stock, I store it in the freezer. It's especially beneficial for days when anyone in my family is sick. I can make homemade soup full of healing nutrients and flavor. My kids prefer traditional chicken noodle or a plain Italian soup with egg and parmesan cheese. I adore egg, lemon, rice soup when I need nurturing.

Soupa Avgolemeno, is a greek dish, but one I have loved for years. It is beautiful in it's simplicity. A small amount of some very fresh ingredient makes all the difference in the world. The Lemon Rice Soup you are eating at your local Coney Island/Greek food restaurant cannot begin to compare to homemade. Below are my simple recipes for very basic, chicken stock and egg, lemon, rice soup. I genuinely hope you will spoil yourself and your family with some homemade stock. You deserve it. And if you think of it, send some positive thoughts and/or prayers my way for a speedy recovery. Enjoy. Mangia!



Stacy's Basic Chicken Stock

You can add variations to this stock depending on what type of soup you're making. Add herbs and vegetables that match the soup your making. For example, I add garlic, ginger, lemongrass, some soy (instead of salt) and green onion when making an oriental soup. Use your imagination and don't be afraid to experiment. Stock and soups are very forgiving;-)



Bones of one, whole roasted chicken picked of meat (leave some meat on so you can a nice thick stock when cooled.)

1 whole onion, cut in quarters

1 whole tomato or 1/2 pint of cherry tomato (Tomatoes are an important ingredient because it helps to remove the calcium from the bones, adds color and all the good benefits listed in yesterdays blog)

2 celery stalks, chopped into large pieces

3 carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces

1 Tablespoon of whole, black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 handful of fresh parsley

Salt to taste

Add enough water to cover all the ingredients, including the bones. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer covered for about 2 hours, then simmer uncovered for 1 hour to reduce the stock. Allow to cool and then store in 2 quart containers in the freezer. Smaller containers are easier to manage and use, as opposed to one, huge frozen container of stock. You can always thaw more if you need it. You can also freeze your stock in ice cube trays. I use these little, 1 ounce servings to help deglaze pans and make sauces or gravies.

Egg, Lemon, Rice Soup

Because this soup require so few ingredients, the key is to use high quality, fresh products. Homemade stock, fresh lemon juice, fresh eggs and fresh parsley all make a difference.

48 ounces of chicken stock

1/2 C uncooked, white rice (you need white because the starch helps thicken the soup)

Heat stock and rice and salt to taste to boiling in a 4 quart saucepan, stirring once to mix the rice and stock. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for about 14 minutes or until rice is tender.

Meanwhile, mix

3 eggs, beaten

4 Tablespoons of lemon juice (fresh is best, but bottled works just fine)

Stir the above mixture until the egg and lemon juice is incorporated.

Now, once the rice is tender, take a ladle-ful (about 1/2 cup)of the stock from the rice and add it to the egg and lemon juice mixture, stirring constantly. This is called Tempering. It brings the temperature of the eggs up, so that when the mixture is added to the soup, all the proteins will not coagulate at once. If the eggs coagulate, your soup will not thicken and you'll have long, strings of egg white floating throughout your soup. You will have some coagulated egg white, but not much, if you temper it. If it does coagulate, you can still eat it. It will still be delicious (take a swig;-), but not a "creamy" a consistency. Constant stirring while adding the egg mixture will also prevent the coagulation of proteins and enhance the "creamy" consistency. Once the egg mixture, stock and rice are incorporated, continue to cook on low until the soup thickens, stirring constantly. This should take about 2-3 minutes The stirring will also help distribute the starch from the rice and add to the thickening of the soup. Do not boil this soup! Your eggs will curdle, for sure, and that is not delicious (take swig;-).

Lastly, add a handful of fresh, chopped parsley and stir well. You can also add mint or chives, if you prefer, instead of parsley. I like it with Italian parsley.

This makes about 6, 1-cup servings.