Spicy Seafood and Bean Chowder

I miss chowders. Well, to be honest, I miss all kinds of soup that have "bits" in them. The British just don't appreciate them. Soup, on this island, is more often than not just a puree of vegetables. Delicious? Quite often. But still- I long for things like chicken noodle soup, beef with barley, even just a hearty mixed vegetable will satisfy me so long as there is more than one consistency to it!

And thus I yearn for American-style chowders. Don't even get me started on what I've seen pass for New England Clam Chowder over here. It's not right and I refuse to support it.

But, on that note, all is not lost. NPR has seen fit to publish online all that is good and right about chowders. And, more specifically, how you can create such glories at home. If there was ever a reason to support public radio, this is it. When I saw the idea for a spicy chowder, I couldn't help myself. If there was only one thing missing from the glory of this soup-based food, it was spice. And now, here I was, presented with a happy remedy.

My own version was sadly lacking clam juice, which I thought was unnecessary at the time but have subsequently reconsidered. I think will make the broth even better and give it that punch of salty that really evokes the sea when you have a seafood chowder. As it was though, it was enough to satisfy two non-Americans that they've really been missing something. And usually, that's all I aim for.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
3 large ribs celery, diced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups homemade or best-quality commercial chicken broth
8 to 12 ounces bottled clam juice (1 to 1 1/2 cups) (I omitted but highly recommend)
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 fresh bay leaf
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano 
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup lima beans
1 cup sliced sugar snap peas
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream/whole milk
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen roasted corn kernels (use regular frozen corn if you are unable to find roasted)
1/2 pound combination of fish (some suggest grouper, I used salmon and cod) , skin and bones removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half crosswise to make bite-size pieces
1/2 cup snipped fresh chives for garnish

Method
Using a large pot, heat to medium and add the butter to the pot. When it has melted, add the onion, celery, leeks, garlic, and fennel. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and sprinkle in the flour, stirring well with a wooden spoon until it is fully incorporated and the mixture is pasty.

Gradually pour in the wine, stirring until the mixture is well blended. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup of the clam juice (if using). Stir in the potatoes, lima beans, sugar snap peas, bay leaf, parsley, oregano and the seasonings. Cover partially with a lid and let the chowder simmer gently over medium-low to low heat until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the cream and return the chowder to a simmer. Add the corn and the fish and cook for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook 5 minutes more, or until the shrimp have turned pink. Ladle the hot chowder into bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of chives. Serve immediately.

Note: The chowder may be prepared up to several hours ahead up through the cooking of the potatoes. Remove from the heat and let sit at room temperature. A few minutes before serving time, reheat the chowder to a simmer and finish the recipe as directed.

Chicken Laksa

 

Oh soup, how I love thee. And, really, any kind will do. Well, that isn't entirely accurate. The British have a way of preferring "blended vegetable" soup that I just can't get behind. No chicken noodle. No hearty whole vegetables with a little pasta. Nope. Carrot and coriander. Potato and leek. Tomato. All just blended versions of various vegetables. Give me a hearty soup with, well, bits in it any day. 

And on that note, we come to laksa. I have also fallen deeply and madly in love with Asian soups over the past several years. The British may be clueless when it comes to a warming bowl, but Asia has it down pat. I'm also a complete sucker for anything that comes with a coconut milk-based broth. So sue me. 

Anyway, the good people at Sunset magazine must have heard my yearns for a good "chunky" soup, for in their January edition, they featured a whole spread on various hearty soups. One of which was laksa. They insisted that, despite the arm-length long ingredient list, it was an "easy" or "fast" soup. Ok, this isn't technically true. And some of the ingredients are a bit hard to find (e.g. "shrimp paste" whch I was only able to find after a New Year's sojourn to the land of all Asian-based products, San Francisco). In the first incarnation of this soup, with no shrimp paste in sight, I relied on some Mexican canned shrimp (which is as dubious as it sounds). The flavors still worked well but I wanted to see how the soup tasted with the shrimp paste. And, oh yes, t'was worth the trip. So, hey, if you're one of those people (like me) that somehow doesn't have all of the following ingredients to hand, never fear, the soup is delicious with any Western versions of items you happen to dig up. If, however, you are lucky enough to have the real ingredients available, by all means, indulge. This soup will not fail you. 

Ingredients

2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
4 cloves
1/4 tsp. ground tumeric
5-8 dried arbol chiles, stemmed
2 lemongrass stalks
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb., skinned chicken thighs, cubed
1 tsp. shimp paste (or dubious canned shrimp, see above)
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 qt. reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. kosher salt
1 cinnamon stick
6 oz. mung bean sprouts, rinsed
8 oz. wide rice noodles
1/3 cup mint leaves, torn
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, torn
lime wedges
sambal oelek chili paste

Method

Grind coriander, peppercorns, cumin, fennel, cloves, turmeric, and chiles coarsely in a spice grinder. Peel tough outer layers from lemongrass, then mash core with a meat mallet or small, heavy frying pan.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chicken, shrimp paste, shallots, and reserved spices and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 minutes. 

Pour in coconut milk, broth, sugar, and salt; add cinnamon and lemongrass. Bring to a boil, then immer, covered, 20 minutes.

Boil bean sprouts in a large pot of boiling water until softened, 2 minutes. Transfer sprouts to a bowl. Add noodles to pot and cook until firm, 4 minutes. Drain; rinse well. 

Divide sprouts and noodles among the bowls. Ladle in soup (remove cinnamon and lemongrass) and top with mint and cilantro. Serve with limes and sambal. 

The aforementioned authentic (and hard to find) shrimp paste

Coconut Milk and Cream Soup Cooked in a Pumpkin

A few weeks back it was Canadian Thanksgiving. Now, I'm all about the good ol' American way of celebrating (that is, in November), but there is rarely a time when I turn down good food. And, oh my, was this food good. Nay, glorious. The highlight of the evening had to be the cooked pumpkin soup. That's right, a soup cooked inside a pumpkin. A creamy buttery concoction that actually let you scrape the insides of the pumpkin with a ladle to get as much of that delicious sinewy goodness as you wanted for your bowl. Now if that isn't an "impress your guests" kind of moment, I don't know what is. 

I spent the rest of the evening begging for the recipe. It turns out the recipe was from a "River Cottage" episode, a cooking show based in the UK. When I looked up the recipe online, I was almost bowled over by the fact that there were only three predominant ingredients in the entire soup: cream, Gruyere cheese, and, well, pumpkin. But the idea was so genius, I couldn't pass it up. I decided to tweak the idea just a bit, partially for my own health conscience (little as it may be) but more importantly to beef up the flavor a bit. So I added what I think is always a winning combination: coconut milk. By adding a little spiciness, some stock, and the coconut milk, it really fleshed out the flavor alongside the cheese and cream. I served it the week after Canadian Thanksgiving to rave reviews. 

The only thing I will warn about is timing. It's hard to tell when the pumpkin is done, i.e. when the soup is warm enough to eat and the flesh of the pumpkin is cooked through. You also have to be wary of structural integrity issues. As the pumpkin cooks, it understandably becomes softer, which means your soup bowl may become a bit soggy and, if left unattended for long enough, collapse in the oven in a great pile of pumpkin-y goo. This is a bad thing. So, the only thing I can recommend is watching the pumpkin quite closely when you think you're getting close to being done. 

Serves 4-6 generously

Ingredients

• 1 medium (3-4kg) pumpkin or several small squashes (1 per person)
• 4 stalks of lemongrass
• juice of one lime 
• 2 x 50mm ginger, peeled
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 6 red chillies
• juice of 2 limes
• black pepper
• sea salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 banana shallots finely chopped
• 5 g cumin seeds (or ground)
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 400 ml tin coconut milk
• sprigs coriander/cilantro, to garnish
• Up to 500g Gruyere cheese, grated (depending on the size of your pumpkin)
• up to 400 ml of cream
• freshly grated nutmeg
• a knob of butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 190°c/Gas Mark 5.

Slice the top off the pumpkin or squashes three-quarters of the way up and retain; this is your lid.

Scoop out all the seeds and surrounding fibres from the pumpkin.

Place the scooped-out pumpkin on a baking tray or in an ovenproof dish (which must have sides to catch any leaking cream - an accident that shouldn't, but can, happen).

Peel the outer coating from the lemon grass stalks and finely chop the white bulbous part of the stalks, discarding the rest.
Mix together the lemon grass, lime juice, ginger, garlic, chillies and lime juice into a smooth paste. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Gently fry the shallots and cumin seeds for 3-5 minutes, then add in half the paste and fry, stirring often, for 5 minutes until fragrant.
 
Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes.

Put enough grated Gruyere into the empty cavity of the pumpkin to fill about a third of it, then pour in double cream and coconut milk until the cavity is two-thirds full.

Add a few gratings of nutmeg, a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Throw in a knob of butter and replace the lid, so the pumpkin is whole again.

Place in a fairly hot oven (190°c/Gas Mark 5) and cook for 45 minutes-11/4 hours (for me, this was more on the 1 1/4 hours side of things), depending on the size of the pumpkin. Test for doneness by removing the lid and poking at the flesh from the inside. It should be nice and tender.

At this point, the skin may be lightly burnt and the whole thing just beginning to sag a bit. Be wary: when the pumpkin is completely soft and cooked through, there is a real danger of collapse.

The larger the pumpkin, the bigger the danger. Don't panic if it happens - it will look a bit deflated but will still taste delicious.

Serve small squashes individually in bowls, with spoons to scoop out the flesh. Serve the larger pumpkin by scooping plenty of flesh and the creamy, cheesy liquid (the Gruyere comes out in lovely long, messy strings) into warmed soup bowls. Either way, serve piping hot.

Wild Mushroom Soup

A few years back my mom gave me a Soup magazine, knowing my penchant for meals in a bowl. I've made a few of them over the years but this one was called into being by a recent late spring cold. There's nothing better when you're feeling down than a warm bowl of homemade soup. Of course, I was tempted by the old tried-and-true Chicken Noodle, but I gave this one a whirl and I was very happy I did. Same homemade flavors, hearty and soulful. It also took about 45 min., just about the limits of energy when you're feeling down and out. Of course, it also helped that it was raining cats and dogs outside, another perfect excuse for making soup.

Time: 45 min.

Ingredients

2 lb. sliced assorted mushrooms (button, crimini, and shiitake all work here. I also used dried porcini mushrooms, see note below about rehydrating them)

1 cup onion minced

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups chicken broth (or 2 cups chicken broth + 2 cups of the water you used to rehydrate the porcini mushrooms. It should be a dark brown color and will deepen the flavor of the soup. )

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Salt to taste

Preparation:

-Slice/prep the mushrooms.
-Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until soft, stirring often.
-Add mushrooms to the pot, increase heat to high, and saute until moisture evaporates. Reduce heat to medium.
-Stir in sherry, lemon juice, paprika, and pepper. Simmer until sherry has nearly evaporated, then add broth.
-Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
-Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch and soy sauce together to dissolve, then stir into simmering soup to thicken.
-Finish the soup by stirring in the 1/2 cup cream and chopped fresh dill.

If you like, garnish the soup with sour cream, lemon slices, and even more fresh dill.

Delicious Indian Coconut Soup

A soup to warm the heart and soul, compliments of the Naked Chef himself, Jamie Oliver.

southern indian rice and seafood soup

5 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil

3 tablespoons brown mustard seeds

a handful of fresh curry leaves, picked off their stalks (or just medium/hot curry powder, whatever spice level you prefer)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds (or ground cumin)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1½ teaspoons chilli powder

2 teaspoons turmeric

3 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced

2 large thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

2 handfuls of basmati rice

565ml water

600g fish, skinned, filleted and cut into 2– 3 inch chunks (or whatever kind of seafood you want, I've used mixed shellfish, cod, squid, shrimp, mussels, etc.)

2 x 400ml tins of coconut milk

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

juice of 2 limes

a handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

optional: 3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut

Get yourself a big pan and heat up your oil, then add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin seeds, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric. Cook for a few minutes and you'll get the most amazing smells filling the room from all these spices. Then add the chillies, the ginger, the garlic and the onions. Continue cooking slowly until the garlic and onions are soft. Then add the rice and the water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add your fish and the coconut milk with a pinch of salt. Put the lid on the pan and simmer for a further 10 minutes, then stir well to break up the pieces of fish. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper, then just before you serve it squeeze in the lime juice and stir in half the coriander. Serve in warmed bowls, sprinkle over some freshly grated coconut, if you have it, and rip over the rest of the coriander.

Serves: 4 (or 2, if you enjoy this soup as much as I do)