Winter = soups & stews

[Mardoo]

Goulash secret from my Hungarian friend - add a teaspoon of caraway seed to it once you add the stock. Adds that certain background flavor.

 

[Tahoose]

Thanks I'll try that next time, bit late now.

The in laws have absolutely demloished it. I always make extra though. Looking forward to lunch tomorrow.

 

[supertonio]

Hi,

Not sure if you guys can get it in Australia but I have this book for soups and it is fantastic....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Soup-Every-Day-Favourite-Recipes/dp/0752227432

Lots and lots of great recipes...

Scott

 

[fixa4377]

I did a crock pot curry this arvo

500gr chicken thigh chopped chunky
3 spring onions
1/2 a sweet potato
1/2 a brown onion
1/4 red capsicum
1/2 a head of brocolli
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 heaped teaspoons Keens curry powder
1 can of diced tomato
1 can coconut milk
450ml of Vegetta stock

Got it to the boil then simmered for 90 mins on low,

Was very nice!!

Would aim for a bit more curry taste next time, but all round using stuff from cupboard and fridge day before shopping day I was stoked

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I made my pumpkin soup again but added bacon.

Mmm......bacon.....

 

[sponge]

I made up a bit of a smoked bacon, corn and mushroom soup the last couple of weeks.

I had made it prior without the smoked bacon bones, but just didn't make the cut. It needs that smokey, salty pig meat.

 

[TimT]

Gotta give the borscht a go.

As a bonus, you'll get purple poo.

 

[Airgead]

Stewed up a bunny over the weekend -

• 1 bunny chopped into 8 chunks
• onion
• Garlic (lots)

Brown onion, garlic and bunny in a casserole dish until its really good and caramelly. Add

• 1/2 bottle red wine
• 1 tin tomatoes
• Water to cover
• Thyme
• bay leaves
• Few sprigs of rosemary
• 1 cup of those little green french puy lentils
• Pepper and salt to taste

Simmer for 2-3 hours. Throw some green veg in near the end. Serve with freshly baked sourdough (or shop bought if you must) and some good red wine.

 

[TimT]

I've still got chicken stock in the freezer from months ago when I had to dispatch our backyard rooster. Used it as the base for a kangaroo stew on the weekend, and I made a (rather disappointing, it must be said) potato soup with it yesterday. Willing to take any and all suggestions on what uses to put chicken stock to.

 

[Airgead]

Ahhh.... addition to bunny recipe... mushrooms. Heaps of mushrooms. How could I forget the mushrooms.

 

[Bribie G]

I was round at a friend's place and spotted a Chinois that I swiftly borrowed.



So I rustled up some Creme Dubarry - a french cream of cauliflower soup named after the Comptesse Dubarry who was Louis XXV's mistress and who insisted on this soup with every dinner.

I followed an official French recipe from their Culinary Institute and was a bit doubtful - it didn't seem to have a lot of flavoursome ingredients. But .... wow ... heaven in a bowl.



Not my photo: we ate the lot. Chinois owning friend dropped round another cauliflower yesterday, hint hint

 

[Bribie G]

I've still got chicken stock in the freezer from months ago when I had to dispatch our backyard rooster. Used it as the base for a kangaroo stew on the weekend, and I made a (rather disappointing, it must be said) potato soup with it yesterday. Willing to take any and all suggestions on what uses to put chicken stock to.

You got caulis? See above.

 

[TimT]

Excellent. In fact that recipe would also be good to help me use up the whey generated by yesterday's cheesemaking endeavours.

 

[Airgead]

I've still got chicken stock in the freezer from months ago when I had to dispatch our backyard rooster. Used it as the base for a kangaroo stew on the weekend, and I made a (rather disappointing, it must be said) potato soup with it yesterday. Willing to take any and all suggestions on what uses to put chicken stock to.

Spud soup is great... the trick (well two of them... actually three of them) are -

• Pepper - lots
• Leeks. Sweat down a bunch of leeks in some oil before throwing in spuds and stock
• Bacon. Or speck or some form of smoked pork product. Chop finely and brown before throwing in the leeks.

 

[TimT]

When you went into the classic Melbourne restaurant Scherezade in St Kilda you'd usually get a choice between borscht, burnt onions with gigantic veal or chicken schnitzels, or various other weird and wonderful Eastern European snacks. I remember we went there once for a family dinner and my brother ordered duck and was presented with the whole creature in a gigantic bowl; a quarter of the way through he started saying, 'you can try some if you like....' Somehow he finished it all up! The desserts were especially strange and deserve a whole thread of their own - they were essentially these boxed Italian treats that stayed in the freezer until you ordered one (you'd see their picture on the menu). 'Preparation' by the chef must have involved taking them out of the box and putting them on a plate (maybe with some icecream). Oh, and suitably for an Eastern European-type restaurant the staff all seemed to be perpetually stern and serious with faces that looked rather like they'd descended from a race of gnomes. I loved 'em.

But the borscht was delicious. You'd get it with a few slices of rye bread, some butter, and a hearty dollop of sour cream. It was worth the trek to St Kilda for that borscht alone.

I can't get my borscht recipe from the kitchen for.... reasons.... (okay - the cat is in my lap), but here's a good one on The Guardian website. Make a bunch of borscht and you won't go hungry for a week; you can just top it up with a bit of water every day and reheat.

BTW, I was told a few years ago that Scherezade still exists but they've moved to less expensive digs somewhere in Elsternwick? Would love to find out where they are now.

 

[Bribie G]

Re Airgead:

I had leeks, stock and cream left over from my Creme Dubarry session so I did a spud soup with the rest.

Finely sliced leeks sauteed in butter. Add flour to make a roux, pour in a litre of chicken stock and finely cubed parboiled potatoes, finely cut garlic chives, half a teaspoon of black peppercorns smashed with mortar and pestle then simmer gently for 20 mins. Smash potato up finer with a potato masher, simmer till tender. Add a cup of cream and half a tsp powdered turmeric. Simmer on for around five minutes and serve.

I've been eating this for brekkie every morning with a side of mushrooms and bacon, whatever.
Cold morning: spoonful of steaming soup, mouthful of bacon and mushrooms, spoonful.... :icon_drool2:

 

[Airgead]

Turmeric is an interesting touch.

If you are feeling flush, try it with a pinch of saffron... :icon_drool2:

 

[mr_wibble]

Goulash secret from my Hungarian friend - add a teaspoon of caraway seed to it once you add the stock. Adds that certain background flavor.

Cool, I'll try that tonight.

-- Do you grind the caraway seeds or just add whole ?

I browned my meat (beef shin) but couldn't any red wine to de-glaze the pan - then I found a bottle of Leffe dunkel at the back of the fridge (aldi special).
I also threw in a small ham hock (skinned), that's probably gonna make it a bit overdone now.

 

[shaunous]

I've still got chicken stock in the freezer from months ago when I had to dispatch our backyard rooster. Used it as the base for a kangaroo stew on the weekend, and I made a (rather disappointing, it must be said) potato soup with it yesterday. Willing to take any and all suggestions on what uses to put chicken stock to.

I have a rooster awaiting despatch, how'd u go about making the stock?

I was just gunna launch the big fella into the convection oven to bake whole and turn into sandwich meat 4 work.

P.s. *** all these last few posts all sound amazing.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I have a rooster awaiting despatch, how'd u go about making the stock?

I was just gunna launch the big fella into the convection oven to bake whole and turn into sandwich meat 4 work.

P.s. *** all these last few posts all sound amazing.

Once you cut all the meat off, throw the raw carcass in a big stock pot with a few onions and simmer for a few hours let it cool, skim the fat and strain into containers. Milk bottles are good for this. Then freeze untill needed.