Beef Mushroom Barley SoupFrom Food Network Kitchens2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
One 1- 1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds beef shin on the bone, trimmed of excess fat
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 carrot, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 cup chopped canned tomato
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 pound medium-sized button mushrooms, brushed, trimmed, and quartered
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until well browned; this will take about 15 minutes. Set the meat aside and wipe the pan out with a paper towel. Lower the heat to medium, add the oil to the pan. Add the carrot, onion, and celery to the pan and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
Return the meat to the pan with the water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is just tender. Add the thyme, barley, and tomato, continue to simmer the soup, covered, for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste, and add them to the soup, and simmer for 15 minutes more.
Remove the meat from the soup; cut the meat from the bone and dice. Skim any fat from the surface of the soup with a ladle or large spoon. Return the meat to the soup with the parsley. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warm bowls. Cook's Note: If making the soup in advance, adjust the consistency of the soup when re-heating with water, since the barley has a tendency to absorb the broth.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock, recipe follows
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Chicken Stock:
1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
2 carrots, cut in large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
2 large white onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved
1 turnip, halved
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns.
Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.
Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze.
Yield: 2 quarts
Mushroom Soup
Wolfgang Puck, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen: Houghton Mifflin, 19811 pound firm white mushrooms, cleaned
1 medium lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Sprinkle the mushrooms with lemon juice. In a food processor, coarsely chop them. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and lightly saute the shallots. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, or until the liquid disappears. Add the salt, pepper, cream, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cornstarch to the soup and continue to simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning to taste. Serve in warm bowls. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
