Turkey Soup

First I want to wish all of our readers a joyful Thanksgiving. The world may be going to hell in a hand basket, but the annual joining together of family and friends to be thankful for the past year, for the harvest, for country and for each other is a reinvigoration of our spirit as we go into the light deprived winter period. We revel in the companionship, the story telling, the laughter and the food. We emerge from Thanksgiving with the busy year-end holiday season upon us, so there is much yet to do before the solstice greets us just before Christmas, and the days start getting imperceptibly longer.

Now let’s contemplate the subject of soup and later turkey soup.

Soup is a food composed of combining meat and/or vegetables, and sometimes bread, with water or stock. These ingredients are cooked together to meld their flavors and extract any gelatin from meats to give the results body and flavor with improved nutritional benefits. In the western world, soups may be served as a small first course in a multi-course meal as in a restaurant, or as the main course accompanied by a salad with bread and cheese in a household meal.

Soups fall into one of two categories, clear soups like consommé and bouillon or thickened soups like purees and bisques. Originally soup (or sop) was composed of a broth, initially made with onions and water, and bread used to soak up the liquid. Today the word “sop” has come to mean just the bread used to dip into a soup or stew.

The basis for most soups is some sort of stock, be it chicken stock, the most often used, vegetable stock, brown or white stock, or the king of all stocks, veal stock. While one can purchase stocks in the supermarket, homemade stocks are the best, in my opinion, and the household cook has ready access to the necessary ingredients in the realm of everyday cooking. Whether you have a chicken or turkey carcass left over, some left over bones if you cut up your chicken at home, as I do, or you purchase some inexpensive parts like poultry wings, legs or thighs, you are well on your way to a homemade soup.

One can roast some bones or poultry parts in a hot oven with carrots and onions until nicely caramelized to achieve a rich, appetizing brown stock or one can add these parts uncooked to a pot of cold water which, when completed, will yield a white stock. In either approach, when the protein choice is added to cold water and slowly brought to a simmer, the connective tissues in the meat, i.e collagen, hydrolyze (i.e. liquefy when exposed to heat) and gelatin is released into the liquid, thus the tendency of stocks to solidify when cool. This gelatin gives the stock body, which contributes to mouth feel when eaten. At the same time, some proteins and enzymes are freed into the water and fats, vitamins and some lactic and amino acids join the party. Usually aromatics are included in stocks and they contribute pectin, starches, acids like citric, tartaric and oxalic, which help give the stock flavor, aroma and taste.

I made a turkey stock from the bones I removed from my deboned turkey I cooked for Thanksgiving. Alternatively, you could purchase some turkey legs and/or thighs to make a stock from, or, of course, the carcass of your roasted bird always brings a lot of flavor to the party. In any event, combine the bones, roasted in a hot oven for 30 minutes or so, with onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, fresh or dried thyme and enough cold water to cover by 1 to 2 inches. Bring slowly to the simmer, skimming the scum and fat the accumulates on the top. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hour or so, but not for hours and hours. Strain the stock and cool quickly by placing in a cold or iced water bath in your sink, stirring the stock frequently. Change the cold water every half hour until the stock is 40 degrees. Refrigerate and later remove the solidified fat before using.

Turkey Soup

Serves 4-6

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced celeriac
1/2 cup diced parsnip
1/2 cup diced turnip
1/2 cup diced green beans
1 cup turkey drippings
1 cup turkey gravy
3 cups leftover turkey & stuffing, diced
6 cups turkey stock
4 tbl parsley, flat leaf, chopped fine
3/4 cup orzo (rice shaped pasta) or pasta of your choice or rice
1/4 cup Parmigianno-Regianno cheese, grated
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a 4 qt sauce pan and add the onions and saute 3-4 minutes. Add the balance of the diced root vegetables and saute another 3-4 minutes. Add the turkey drippings, gravy and turkey stock. Bring to a simmer, add the green beans and simmer 5 minutes. Add the turkey and the orzo and cook 10 minutes, or until the pasta is done. Stir in the chopped parsley. When serving, garnish each bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of grated cheese and a piece of garlic rubbed bruschetta.

Lasagna

I wrote about home made spinach pasta, ragu Bolognese, and salsa bisciamella in the construction of a Lasagna Bolognese, a classic Italian dish, back in April (see www.boldosthoughtsonfood.blogspot.com). That’s a fairly complicated and time-consuming dish to prepare, although certainly worth the time, the expense and the effort. It’s a classic around the holidays, particularly if you have a buffet table with a variety of dishes.

Lasagna is both a type of noodle and a dish made by layering sheets of that wide pasta with any number of fillings in a casserole-type vessel, which vessel was originally the source of the name lasagna. Today the word lasagna means the dish itself, although in Italy it is called lasagne. Traditionally cheeses like mozzarella and ricotta are included in lasagna, and some Parmigiano-Reggiano is de rigueur. Unless making a classic dish however, lasagna lends itself only to one’s imagination as to what to include between, or on top, of the lasagna noodles.

While I make my own lasagna noodles, you can use store bought in the name of time. I’m not crazy about the no-cook lasagna noodles that are available, but we did use them at Balducci’s in New York when I worked there, and we sold a lot of lasagna. If you make your own, or buy some that require pre-cooking before layering with fillings, a few words on proper cooking and handling.

When cooked in rapidly boiling, salted water, the proteins and starch granules in the dough expand and absorb the water. The outer protein layer ruptures and starches are released into the cooking water, thus the water’s modest change in color. The outside of the noodle softens, but the inner starches aren’t disrupted as much. To cook a noodle al dente, where it is slightly under done at the center, and therefore with a slight resistance to the tooth when bitten into, the outside noodle is 80% or more water, but the center is about 50% water. For lasagna, we want to drain the noodle just before they are al dente and plunge it into cold water to arrest the cooking process. The noodle should be removed from the cold water in about 3 or 4 minutes, and allowed to drain on a kitchen or paper towel, if using immediately, or they can be lightly oiled if not used right away.

It is recommended that the amount of water used in cooking pasta should be 10 times or more of the weight of the pasta being cooked. Therefore, one pound of pasta would need 5 quarts of water and 6 quarts would be even better. The water should be brought to the boil and then salted at a rate of 1 ½ teaspoons per quart. The pasta should be placed in the rapidly boiling water right after the salt is added. With the addition of the pasta, the water will temporarily fall below the boiling point and your noodles will tend to stick together if you don’t stir them until the water returns to the boil. When the noodles, or any pasta, are in contact with other noodles, the dry surfaces will absorb a little water, but the surface starches will act like glue to the adjacent starchy surfaces while there is no room between them for lubrication, as a result, they stick together. Stirring the water until it returns to a boil and/or adding a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the water to help lubricate the surfaces minimizes this problem. The salt in the water not only seasons the noodle, but assists in starch gelatinization and therefore reduces this stickiness.

Similarly, after cooking, as the surface of the noodle dries out, it can stick to its neighbor noodles. If you coat your noodles lightly with oil, you can prevent this from happening, and reserve those noodles for later use.

Fall Vegetable Lasagna a la Boldo’s

Serves 6-8 using a 3 quart lasagna pan

Homemade or store bought Lasagna noodles, cooked and refreshed in a bowl of cold water.

2 to 2 1/2 cups Marinara sauce, homemade recipe follows.

1 small Butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and sliced lengthwise 3/8” thick
½ a small Celeriac, peeled and sliced 3/8" thick
1 parsnip peeled and sliced lengthwise 3/8" thick
1 Russet potato, peeled, sliced lengthwise 3/8’ thick
16 oz Broccoli florets, blanched & refreshed, then roughly chopped
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup Parmigianno-Regiannno cheese, freshly grated

Cheddar béchamel sauce
4 tbl butter
4 tbl flour
3 cup milk, scalded
salt & pepper
1 lb. Vermont cheddar cheese, grated

Make roux by melting the butter over medium heat and adding the flour. Combine and cook gently, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes. Scald the milk in a small saucepan by heating it slowly until bubbles appear around the edge of the pot, but the milk isn't boiling. Add scalded milk slowly to the roux, stirring. Bring to simmer and stir until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg to taste. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Set aside until needed.

Place the butternut squash, potato, parsnip and celeriac on parchment paper lined half sheet pans and roast 15 minutes in a 425 degree oven until cooked through. Reserve

Make a Marinara sauce as follows:

Saute 1 large onion in 2 tbl. olive oil for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup finely diced carrot and 1 clove of minced garlic to the onion. Saute 3 minutes, add some fresh thyme leaves picked from their stems and 1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes along with their juices. Bring to a rapid boil and cook 10 minutes. If the sauce is splattering out of the pot, reduce the heat a little. After 10 minutes or more, reduce the heat to a slow boil and cook until the sauce is thick, 20 minutes or more. Season with salt and pepper and add some fresh basil if it is in season. Reserve.

To assemble the lasagna, cover the bottom of your lasagna dish with a spoonful or two of the tomato sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the noodles and arrange slices of butternut squash on top. Add more tomato sauce over the squash. Sprinkle lightly with Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese. Add a second layer of lasagna noodles, spread these noodles with a thin layer of the cheddar bechamel. Top with the slices of roasted parsnip, potato and celeriac. Cover with cheddar bechamel sauce. Add a third layer of noodles. Sprinkle this layer with grated mozzarella cheese and cover with the rough chopped broccoli florettes. Sprinkle with more mozzarella and a light sprinkle of the Parmiagianno-Reggiano cheese. Top with a fourth layer of noodles. Cover the top layer with cheddar bechamel and a few dollops of tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the Parmiaggino cheese. Cover with aluminum foil, tented up a little so it doesn't rest on the top layer and bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned on top. Allow the lasagna to cool for at least a half hour, and longer is better, before slicing, to allow the ingredients to set up, otherwise the lasagna may be runny on the plate.

Enjoy with a small salad and a glass of red wine.

Braising

Now that the days are getting shorter and the weather is decidedly cooler, it is time for stewing and braising to create those hearty dishes we all love; beef stew, pot roast, coq au vin, chicken and dumplings, braised lamb shanks, osso bucco, short ribs and the like. However before we discuss any particular recipe, let’s review the principal technique of a braise as it is often mishandled, even by experienced cooks.

Braising is a moist heat cooking method as opposed to a dry heat method like broiling, grilling or sautéing. Braised, pot-roasted and stewed meats or vegetables are cooked in water, stock, milk, wine or pureed fruits or vegetables. These cooking liquids end up composing the sauce that is served with the braised item so they are usually fortified with aromatics like onions, carrots, celery and garlic, that are often the base upon with the braised item rests during the cooking process. These liquids have the advantage of being able to transmit heat evenly and rapidly, being easy for the cook to control, and of picking up and imparting flavor to the final sauce. While these liquids can not get hot enough to cause the Maillard reaction where meats brown thus deepening their flavor, braised meats can be pre-cooked in a small amount of fat to achieve a rich crust before they are finished in the cooking liquid.

One of the keys to a proper braise is the vessel one chooses to cook in. First it should be heavy with thick sides and a tight sealing lid. The best braisiers are made of cooper, enameled cast iron or cast iron. Originally these braising vessels had a concave lid that almost touched the meat being cooked. The cooking took place on the hearth with embers not only beneath and around the braisier, but also a few hot coals were placed on the top so heat came from all sides. Today’s modern cooking utensils don’t have concave lids, so any evaporating moist condenses on the lid and falls back into the sauce, diluting it. To prevent this from happening, place a piece of aluminum foil over the meat and snuggly against the sides of the pot and up over the edge. The pot’s lid can then be placed on top to double seal the contents. In this way you capture the steam that can otherwise condense on the lid, and you put the meat to be cooked under additional pressure.

It is important that during the braising process that the liquid surrounding the meat be kept at a relatively low temperature, about 180 degrees. Long and slow is the name of the game so that the collagen in the meat dissolves and its gelatin helps thicken the sauce. However, to be done, the meat needs to reach an internal temperature of 160 to 180 degrees, but this is above the temperature range of 140 to 150 degrees where muscle fiber loses its moisture. Those that have experienced dry and stringy pot roasts know what I’m talking about. To prevent this, after browning the meat, place it in the cooking liquid. Cover with aluminum foil and the lid and place in a cold oven with temperature set at 200 degrees. Allow the meat to rise in temperature to 120 degrees over a couple of hours, then raise the oven to 250 degrees and allow the meat temperature to rise to 180 degrees. Test every half hour until a fork or skewer inserted into the meat penetrates easily. At this point, the steam has pried the meat fibers apart, and some re-absorption of meat juices will occur while you allow the braise to cool in its liquid.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Tomatoes & Fresh Herbs

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
4 large lamb shanks

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces thinly sliced capocollo or pancetta, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 3 x 1/2-inch strips lemon peel
2 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups drained canned diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl; rub all over lamb. Let stand 30 minutes or more.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb and sauté until brown, turning with tongs, about 12 minutes; transfer to plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add capocollo and stir 1 minute. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in garlic; cook 1 minute. Mix in lemon peel strips, bay leaves, and thyme. Add wine and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes and broth. Return lamb to pot. Cover with aluminum foil as described above .
Cook lamb slowly for 1 1/2 hours. Check temperature of the lamb with an instant read thermometer. When the lamb reaches 125 degrees increase the oven to 250 degrees. Check the lamb in an hour and every thirty minutes thereafter until the lamb reaches 160 degrees.

Remove pot from oven. Tilt pot and spoon off fat that rises to top of sauce. Place pot over medium heat and boil uncovered until sauce reduces enough to coat spoon and lamb is very tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard lemon peel and bay leaves. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool 30 minutes, chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Re-warm over low heat before continuing.)

Mix parsley, grated lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl for gremolata. Transfer lamb to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with gremolata and serve.

Duck confit

With the advent of the cooler weather we’re starting to think about the upcoming holidays and the family gatherings that will occur at these festive events. The centerpiece of getting the family together is always the food and drink over which stories of the past year are retold and inter- and extra-family gossip swapped. We do pretty much what other New England families do with turkey at Thanksgiving and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding at Christmas. However, we also like to have something a little unusual each year, and this year I decided to make a duck confit to serve on Christmas Eve, the party before the party.

While duck is not widely eaten around here, it is a wonderful change from commonplace poultry of chicken and turkey. Duck is a member of the Anatidae family that also includes swans and geese. While many locals hunt for wild ducks, the domesticated varieties are more commonly raised and eaten at our dinner table, or more frequently, perhaps, in a restaurant setting. Three breeds of duckling dominate the US market: Pekin, Muscovy and Moulard. These are generically referred to as “Long Island duck” as most are raised there.

The Pekin duck is the dominant breed, and, like the others, is known as a red meat bird. Simply stated, the breasts and legs are about all you get off a whole duck, so, if purchased whole, one ends up with a lot of carcass and bones, which do make a very good stock. With whole ducks you also get the subcutaneous fat which, when rendered, is fabulous to cook with, and a key ingredient in duck confit. There are whole sections of France where duck fat is the lipid of choice in cooking, and this flavorful fat impacts the food in ways unbeknownst to most of us. Try sautéing some potatoes in duck fat! You’ll love them.

Duck confit is a French dish where the duck legs, with both the leg and thigh intact, are salted for a couple of days with aromatics to draw off the majority of their natural moisture in order to preserve them. (In French, “confit” means “to preserve.”) The marinade is then wiped off, and the legs are poached slowly in rendered duck fat until meltingly tender, then preserved in a crock or glass jar under a thick layer of the fat. Under refrigeration, or in a cool larder, the legs will be good for up to 6 months.

When removed from the fat, the legs are usually placed in a sauté pan with the skin side down and the skin is crisped up before serving.

In France, confit is a traditional ingredient in cassoulet a hearty, slow cooked bean and meat casserole, and in garbure, a thick vegetable soup with cabbage and preserved meats. I plan on serving our confit where it will be the featured centerpiece in a green salad along with a piece of bruschetta and a nice glass of red wine.

Duck Confit

4 Tbl. Sea Salt
4 Each Garlic cloves, minced
1 Each Shallot, peeled & minced
6 Each Fresh thyme sprigs
1 Tbl. Pepper, coarsely ground
8 Each Duck legs with thigh attached
4 lb. Duck fat

Sprinkle the ¼ of the salt, pepper, garlic, shallot and thyme in the bottom of a large dish or plastic container. Mix the balance of the ingredients in a dish and carefully rub each piece of duck leg with the mixture before tightly packing the season duck, skin side up, in the container. Weight the duck with a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate one to two days.

Render the duck fat by cutting it into small pieces and placing is a large saucepan with a quarter cup of water. Place on low heat and slowly bring the temperature up. The fat will begin to render and the water will sputter and evaporate when you get to 212 degrees. Cook slowly until the water is all gone, but don’t allow the fat to get over 350 degrees or it will loose its nice clarity.

When the cracklings are nice and brown, strain the fat and set the cracklings aside.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Wipe the salt and aromatics off the duck and pack the legs snugly into a large rondo or saucier with high, straight sides. Pour the rendered duck fat over the legs and place the pot, uncovered, into the oven. The legs should be completely covered with the fat. Cook slowly for 2 to 3 hours, just an occasional bubble, or until the legs are very tender when pierced with a fork and the bone can easily be pulled out.

Remove the duck legs from the oven and carefully remove the legs from the fat. Pack the cooked legs into a crock and strain the duck fat oven them. Allow to cool completely and store in the refrigerator to allow to cure. They will keep, refrigerated, for up to 6 months.

When ready to eat, remove duck legs from the fat, wiping off as much as you can. Place the legs, skin side down, in a cold skillet and place over medium high heat to crisp up the skin. Serve in a cassoulet or in a green salad.