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Chicken Stock At this time of year, it seems as if our modern preoccupation with the lean and the svelte swells to obsessional proportions in about the same proportion as our holiday-indulged physiques are about to. It is in our nature that even as we plan celebratory bacchanalian fetes, most of us are preoccupied with penance. As
so the question at this time of the year is: How best to balance
calories, fat and satiety against the foibles of appetite, habit and
human nature. My answer: soup. Let soup gently soothe the senses and
sate the appetite and offer its solace to those about to be tormented by
tight waistbands, collars and jackets. Giant
vats of clear, rich chicken broth can be the foundation of meals in a
bowl. Prepared ahead of time, the broth can become a virtuous meal in
moments. There is an unctuousness to a good broth that belies its
dietary prudence; it is more calming than punishing and the stuff is an
endlessly adaptable medium. The
broth can be frozen in small containers and thawed as the cook begins to
assemble the evening’s melange. The simplest way of turning broth into
a meal is to use it instead of olive oil or rich sauces or to float
various additions in it, like tortellini or ravioli, shredded chicken or
grilled vegetables. The addition of pastas or rice and an exotic
condiment such as black bean sauce or jerk sauce –gives the soup the
layers of flavour and contrast of texture that it takes to turn a first
course into a meal. By
adding sesame seeds, ginger, green onions, noodles and shredded chicken
to a big bowl of broth, the cook confects a meal that reminds one that
the pleasure of full flavour can actually supplant the comfort of an
overladen dinner plate. For
a wintry essence with a rib-sticking illusion, roasted potatoes and
lightly caramelized cabbage can be added to the broth. An equally hearty
variation employs roasted celery root, potatoes and wild mushrooms. In
the Japanese style, buckwheat noodles give backbone to a bowl of chicken
broth, while lightly seasoned chicken provides protein, as well as a
textural contrast. Roasted
garlic combined with chicken broth, shrimp, rice and spinach results in
a robust meal. My current personal favorite is to mix chicken stock with
a mint and chili spiked salad of sprouts, rice and cubed tofu. The tofu
remains soft, the sprouts crunchy, the rice reassuring. As
appetite waxes and dietary obsession wanes, the soups can be once again
framed with salad, bread and even dessert. Either way, they remain an
easy and painless way to shift from the dietary habits of the old year
and become a satisfying salute to the resolves of the new. Chicken
Broth Makes
5 quarts 2
chickens about 3 pounds each 2
large Spanish onions, unpeeled and quartered 3
large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths 3
ribs of celery, cut into 2-inch lengths 2
bay leaves 3
springs of fresh thyme 6
parsley stocks 2
tablespoons black peppercorns 6
quarts of water 1)
Place the chickens, onions, carrots and celery into the stockpot.
Bring to a boil over a medium heat, skimming as required. Once the stock
reaches the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, finish skimming and add
the herbs and peppercorns. 2)
Cook the stock for 3 to 4 hours. 3)
Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside and cool to room
temperature and then refrigerate overnight. 4)
Skim the congealed fat from the top of the stock and ladle any
stock not to be used immediately into airtight containers and store in
the freezer. |
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