Front Burner: Bring the “Souper Bowl” home
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Some of you asked if I could get recipes from The Souper Bowl fundraiser on January 20, and I decided those recipes would be great Super Bowl grub for parties this weekend. So the Front Burner column today is dedicated to that idea.
Along with the column, we ran the five recipes you see linked up below. If you have not seen them already, check them out. Also below is one recipe from The Souper Bowl that didn’t make it into the paper – Kroger’s Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Kale.
You’ll notice that two of these recipes call for seafood stock, or “shell stock.” To make seafood stock from scratch is not a quick process. It involves simmering things like lobster, crab and shrimp shells down over several hours to achieve a rich broth, much like making chicken stock.
If you can’t find seafood stock at the store and don’t want to make it, one chef has suggested using a combination of one part chicken stock to one part clam juice. I’m interested in hearing from anybody who has made seafood stock in the past or who has purchased a good product at the store.
To read today’s column, click the link above. Hit the following links to see these recipes:
The River and Rail Caramel-Apple Soup with Spiced Pecans
Friendship Retirement Community Three from the Sea-Food Bisque
Hotel Roanoke She-Crab Soup
The Blue Apron Peruvian Potato Soup
Martin’s Rustic Sausage and White Bean Soup
Kroger’s Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Kale
Serves 4 to 6
This soup will be even better on the second day, so consider making it ahead. It should keep for 3 to 5 days.
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil or butter
1/2 cup each chopped celery, carrots and onions
1/2 cup smoked pork pieces
2 cups chopped kale
1 bag dried black eye peas
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart water
1. Soak beans per directions on bag (this probably needs to be done overnight).
2. In a large soup pot, heat butter or oil. Sweat celery, carrots and onions with smoked pork pieces until veggies are tender.
3. Add diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and water to the pot to deglaze the bottom. Add black eye peas and cook until tender.
4. Stir in kale and season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce.
Recipe courtesy of Kroger.
January 30, 2013 - 9:43 AM
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If people in Friendship Retirement Community are eating lobster soup, I’m heading there in my old age.
I had a question I wondered if any cooks could help with. I like to brown my stew meat before putting it in the crock pot. My problem is though that when I put the meat in the pot, it starts to brown then starts to release liquid, so instead of browning it more stews in the water. Does anyone have a secret for browning meat so that it gets a nice crispy crust on it?
Kristen, my method is to get the oil hot as hell (excuse my French) before I throw the meat in there so it sears quickly. When the oil is really hot, I never have a problem with getting it to brown nicely.
You can throw one chunk in there to test the temperature of the oil. It should make a really angry noise when it hits that oil.
Wait a sec, are you saying you brown it in the Crock Pot? I usually brown my stuff in a skillet before putting it in the Crock Pot. It’s an extra pan to wash, but that’s OK.
I think you are right to brown the meat in the hot skillet first – good technique.
Lindsay, have you put a French onion soup recipe on here lately? I used Alton Brown’s recipe, came out great! It takes a lot of onions, but not technically hard to do. French onion might be another good one to share.
Hey K, I did share a French onion soup recipe around the first of the year. The one I’ve used and loved is Julia Child’s recipe, but I have no doubt that Alton Brown’s is good, too.
Here’s a link to the column with Julia’s recipe: http://www.roanoke.com/food/frontburner/wb/318438
Also, brown your meat in small batches if you have a large amount, otherwise it steams intstead of browning.
Good call, Debbie.
I’m assuming Kristen is doing this, but remembering to pat the meat dry and dredge it in flour really helps give it a nice crust. Unfortunately, sometimes I’m in such a hurry to get things cooking that the drying step completely slips my mind.
Correct on the browning of meat cubes. I have found that browning in small batches works best. If too much is added at once, it lowers the temperature of the skillet enough to prevent a nice crisp exterior. I have made stock with shrimp shells after I have peeled them for cooking. Seemed like a better use for them besides smelling up the trashcan! I’ve also done it using baked fish if I’ve baked several or one large one. I just peel the skin, fins, backbone with bones and head attached and boil it in water for an hour or two, then strain and freeze in containers for later.
No, Lindsey, I use a sauce pan. I’m probably not making it hot enough, and I might try something I saw and try browning it in a dry pan, so there’s not already liquid in there.
Julia’s boeuf Bourguignon recipe calls for patting the meat dry before browning, but that doesn’t help prevent more dampness from coming out of the meat.
I didn’t know you had made your own seafood stock, Mom (Sandy). You constantly amaze me
I made the Julia Child’s French Onion Soup a couple weeks ago during one of the snowy days. That recipe should be written in stone! It’s a fabulous classic version that takes a bit of time to make. Standing over a pot of onions caramelizing for 40 minutes is worth the end result. I use the new Knorrs beef stock gel packs for the stock, what a great product. I top each bowl with a slice of provolone and then shredded swiss and grated parm before putting under the broiler.