Recipe: Chicken Soup

Fall colds have threatened to rear their ugly heads here now that the temperature has started to drop. Both Maru and I had been fighting off some mild symptoms, today was a gray, rainy day, and we hadn’t had soup in a while, so we decided to do some chicken soup. There really is nothing like good, homemade chicken soup. In Mexico, they call a good soup a levanta muertos, meaning that it could raise the dead. When you get that nice, hot, deep-flavored broth, it can feel totally revitalizing, even if you’re not sick.

Since there are a million different ways to do it and everyone has their own preferences, I feel like chicken soup is the kind of thing that you don’t really need a recipe for. However, I know that many people feel more comfortable cooking from recipes, and for those who can do without one, maybe there will be a tip or two in this entry that you can enhance your own soup-making with.

This recipe is not fast, and it shouldn’t be. It’s chicken soup! It needs time on the stove to develop flavor, and is actually twice as good a day or two after you make it. While it takes time, it is super-easy. I think it’s almost impossible to make bad soup. Even if it’s not spectacular, it will still be tasty and nourishing, and if you follow the recipe laid out here, it ought to be delicious.

I usually use whatever is on hand in the way of vegetables, but here is a recipe for the standard, go-to chicken soup that I make. Like any recipe, you should make it how you like it. There are just a couple things that I think are non-negotiable, mainly making your own stock by using chicken bones. I think that what makes good chicken soup so comforting and feel so nourishing is a nice, rich broth, which you can only get making it yourself. I also think that bacon is a really important part of chicken soup. Unless you do not eat pork, you should use it. If you are concerned about cholesterol, cut it down to two pieces. The serving size per bowl of soup is minimal, and the flavor boost is worth some indulgence. Another key for me is what you do with the soup once it is done cooking. All of those well-developed, deep flavors are great, but they are truly brought to life when you add some vinegar to the pot, and then add some lime juice and fresh cilantro or parsley at the table. Plus, if someone really is sick, the lime juice and vinegar feel great on a sore throat.

Normally for us, chicken soup will be a follow-up dish to something that used a whole chicken, a way to use up the extra meat and bones, but I’ve written this one up so that you are buying the specific ingredients for those days when you just really need chicken soup.

A quick note on the rice; I have a strong preference for rice in my chicken soup over noodles, and I have found that this is a case where brown rice is far superior to white rice. It is definitely healthier, but because of the outer husk, it also stands up better to the soup and won’t get mushy as easily. And I have decided it is best to cook the rice separately, that way you have more control over how much you get in each bowl, and it doesn’t disintegrate over time.

So, just in time for fall’s entry onto the stage, here is my chicken soup. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup with Rice

8 cups of homemade chicken stock (see below for how I do it)

1 whole chicken breast, split, skinless, bone-in (don’t get confused – this means two pieces of breast meat)

4 slices of bacon, diced

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeños, minced

Other veggies as desired (zucchini, yellow squash, corn, tomato, bell pepper, etc.)

1 small bunch fresh spinach, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2-4 T good vinegar (white wine, herb vinegar, apple cider, etc.)

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley if you prefer)

2-4 limes cut in wedges (depends on whether or not they are the small ones)

1 cup of brown rice, uncooked

For the stock

1 lb chicken bones, rinsed under cold water (back bones, feet, neck, whatever you’ve got or can get)

1 large onion, quartered

2 medium carrots, quartered

2 stalks celery, quartered (if you have the celery leaves, put a bunch of them in too)

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bay leaves

10 whole black peppercorns

Other veggie scraps (corn cobs, stems from herbs, peppers wilting in your fridge, etc.)

1. Place everything in a large pot, cover with cold water (about 10 cups), and place over medium-high heat. Partially cover the pot.

2. You want to bring the stock to a slow simmer, not a boil. The water should just be moving around. Boiling the bones and veggies is too harsh and will diminish how much flavor you get out of them. Adjust the temperature accordingly. Also, do not stir the stock. You want fat and impurities to naturally rise to the surface.

3. Simmer the stock for at least 45 minutes and preferably 90 minutes. As it cooks, foam will appear on the top. Using a spoon, skim off the foam as well as the fat you can see. Doing this will make the stock taste better, and it won’t have a greasy mouthfeel.

4. Once it has simmered for long enough, turn off the heat and remove the large pieces of vegetable and chicken bones. After the bones cool, they will probably have some meat on them that you can throw in the finished soup. Just pull it off.

5. Before adding the stock to the soup, run it through a medium-mesh strainer. I usually just hold the strainer over the soup pot and pour it through.

6. Any leftover stock can be frozen either in small quantities in an ice cube tray or in larger amounts in yogurt containers. Don’t let it go to waste!

For the soup

1. Put the rice in a small saucepan with two cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, turn the heat down to low and cook for 40 minutes. It will be slightly undercooked, but that’s ok. It will soak up hot soup!

2. If it isn’t simmering already, bring the stock up to a simmer and slip the chicken breast pieces in. Simmer them in the stock for about 20 minutes. Remove, let them get cool enough to handle, then shred the chicken with your fingers. Set aside.

3. Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is all rendered out. This will take about 6-10 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces and set aside. Pour off all but about 2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat. If you are short on fat, add olive oil to equal 2 T.

4. Raise the heat to medium-high and throw in the onions, celery, carrot, and bay leaf. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the veggies are soft.

5. Add the garlic and jalapeño. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes until very fragrant. (If you are adding other veggies like zucchini or bell peppers, add them at this step too.)

6. Add the cooked bacon, stir, then pour in 8 cups of stock. Add the shredded chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Bring the soup up to a simmer, not a boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

8. Add the spinach and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Turn off the heat.

9. Add up to ¼ cup vinegar to the soup. I like to add that much. Start with 2 T, taste, then decide if you want more.

10. To serve, put about ¼ cup cooked rice in the bottom of your bowls and ladle the very hot soup on top. Let it cool for a few minutes in the bowls. At the table, add cilantro and squeeze in fresh lime juice.

If you manage to have leftover soup, it freezes really well. Hope you like my version of chicken soup, and if you have any tricks or tips that you use for this classic, please post them here!

Recipe: Mole Poblano

During our trip to Oaxaca last year, I fell in love with Oaxacan black mole. We purchased the unique dried chiles from that region that give it such a distinctive flavor. They are called chihuacles, and it wasn´t until we got back that I discovered how truly particular they are to the region and hard to find elsewhere. Had I known, I would have stocked up. They have an incredible aroma. Anyway, I took advantage of having procured them and dug into the Rick Bayless recipe for mole negro . The final product was a smashing success. I didn´t quite get the dark black color, but the flavor was indisputable. Then, I decided that I had to do some justice to Puebla and make mole poblano the next time I was up to it. Plus, mole poblano usually has peanuts in it, so I can´t eat it without getting a little sick due to allergies. My version eliminates the culprit!

So recently, in honor of celebrating and thanking the team I worked with as director of the high school in Colegio Ypsilanti, I set out to make mole poblano. I have a great cookbook from Willams Sonoma called Savoring Mexico with very reliable, authentic recipes. The only mole recipe in there, however, is from Querétaro, a state north of Mexico City. It is very similar to mole poblano, but there are some slight differences, so I conferenced with Maru´s grandma and confirmed the ingredients and some of the steps. At the end of the whole process, my mole still needs to be perfected, but we couldn´t argue with the yummy results.

Here I have posted the recipe as I did it. Mole is a little daunting to make (and eat for some people!), but if you have some experience in the kitchen and are comfortable with a recipe that involves lots of steps, you can definitely do it. As far as ingredients go, the one thing you´ll really have to hunt for in the states are the dried chiles. Here, the markets have them in huge mountains. I think we spent like 30 pesos for all of the chiles in the recipe. They only come in little bags in the US and are more expensive, but it´s worth it. The recipe yields a huge pot of sauce, so you´ll have leftovers that you can easily give away or freeze for up to several months. Definitely make the mole a day or two in advance so that you get the hard work out of the way, and you also give the flavors time to develop.

If you are going to do this recipe, make sure you have a few hours to work with, and a friend or two to help in key parts isn´t a bad idea either! Cleaning the chiles is time consuming, and processing everything in the blender or with a stick blender can be quite the juggling act. Read the recipe a few times and make sure you have everything you need on hand. And let me know if you follow this recipe. I would really like to know how it turned out!

Mole “Poblano”

The Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken cut into eight parts for serving (2 legs, 2 thighs, and the breast in four pieces, all still on the bone). The back, neck, head, wings, and feet should also be used for the stock, see next ingredient.
• 6-8 cups homemade chicken stock. If you are going to make mole, do not do yourself the disservice of using canned stock or bouillon. Make it!
• Place all of the extra chicken parts in a large pot with 1 onion quartered, 5 whole cloves of garlic, 2 medium carrots cut in half, two bay leaves, and about 1t salt. Cover with cold water, bring to a simmer, and cook, partially covered for at least 1 hour and up to 2. Skim off the foam and fat as it rises to the surface. Do not stir and do not boil. After the cook time, pour the stock through a mesh strainer and discard the bones and veggies. Skim excess fat off the top of the stock and set aside.
• 12 ancho chiles
• 12 pasilla chiles
• 12 mulatto chiles (there should be an equal amount of each chile. If you have a scale, you can weigh them as sometimes the size can vary quite a bit.)
• ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
• ½ cup fresh, flavorful lard (if you can get fresh lard from a butcher, this is the recipe to do it for. Lard has a bad reputation that it doesn´t entirely deserve and the flavor really adds to the richness of the mole. If you can´t get lard or just don´t want to use it, vegetable oil is fine.)
• ½ lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoons aniseeds
• ¼ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 day-old corn tortilla
• 1 chunk or slice of day old white bread (baguette or Italian loaf is good)
• 40 raw almonds
• 4 T raisins
• ½ inch piece of true cinnamon (not cassia, which is the Asian stuff)
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 disk Mexican chocolate, about 1.5 oz (You can find brand name stuff - Abuelita, Ibarra - in most US grocery stores. They are ok, but full of artificial flavors. I would also recommend just using some good, bittersweet chocolate. If you do that, just add a little more sugar. Mexican chocolate is mixed with sugar and a little cinnamon.)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt or to taste

The Process:

1. Clean the chiles: Remove the stems, open, and devein the chiles. Remove all of the seeds and set them aside. Try to keep the chiles in large pieces so they are more manageable. If you don´t handle chiles often, you should wear gloves.
2. Put 1 ½ Tablespoons of the seeds of each chile type into a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Toast until golden brown then pour into a dish.
3. Toast the sesame seeds in the same pan until golden brown. Set aside 3 Tablespoons of the sesame seeds for garnish later and add the rest to the chile seeds.
4. In a large frying pan, heat up about 2 Tablespoons of the lard over medium high heat. Add the tomatillos and onion and cook until nicely browned, about 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes then stir in the bay leaf, cumin, and aniseed. Transfer to a blender and process into a smooth puree (I used a stick blender for everything, which in some ways was easier. There´s lots of blending in this recipe).
5. Wipe out the pan and add another 2-3 Tablespoons of the lard and heat until hot and shimmering. Line a baking sheet with absorbent paper. Fry the following ingredients placing them to drain on the paper: Tortilla: just a few seconds on each side. Bread: until golden all around. Almonds: just a few seconds. Raisins: just until they puff up. Cinnamon bark and cloves: just a few seconds.
6. Add these fried ingredients along with 1 cup of your stock to the tomatillo puree and process into a thick paste.
7. Add the remaining lard to the same pan and again, heat to shimmering. Fry the chiles, a few at a time, tossing constantly, until they blister. If your fat is hot enough, this should only take about 10-20 seconds. As you finish, transfer them to the paper to drain. If you accidentally burned any of them, discard them as they will make the mole too bitter.
8. Place the chiles in a large bowl, add hot water to cover and soak for 30 minutes. Stir them every 10 minutes or so to ensure even soaking.
9. Place the sesame seeds and chile seeds you toasted and set aside earlier and process them in a spice grinder. Add them to the tomatillo paste. If you don´t have a spice grinder, they can just go right in with the nuts and raisins. The spice grinder helps make things more uniform.
10. Drain the chiles. Add them to the blender with about 1 cup of your stock and process into a smooth puree.
11. Pour about 1 Tablespoon of the fat into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Mexican cazuela. Heat over medium-high. Add the complete tomatillo puree and fry, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add the chile puree and continue cooking and stirring for another 3 minutes.
12. Break the chocolate into chunks and add it to the mixture along with the sugar and salt. Stir until melted and dissolved.
13. Add more of your stock about 1 cup at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. It should be a thick sauce, like thin gravy.
14. Taste and adjust the seasoning. It´s possible you may need to add more sugar if it´s a little too bitter or more chocolate.
15. Simmer for 30-40 minutes for the flavors to come together.
16. In batches in a blender or with your stick blender, process the entire mixture one more time.
17. Pour the sauce through a medium-mesh strainer to remove any little bits of skin or pieces of seeds or nuts that didn´t blend enough. The sauce should now be smooth as silk.

This is everything you should do the day ahead. Let your mole cool, then refrigerate until the next day.

Finishing the Dish:

1. Reheat the mole to simmering.
2. Taste and adjust the seasonings one last time.
3. Add the four pieces of dark meat and set a timer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the breast quarters and cook all of the chicken in the simmering mole for another 20-25 minutes until the meat is done and tender.
5. To serve, place one piece of chicken in the center of the plate, pour about a cup of sauce over the top of it, and sprinkle with reserved toasted sesame seeds. Typical sides are red Mexican rice and fresh corn tortillas. Enjoy!

You´ll have leftovers, which is great considering the amount of work that went into this sauce. The mole will keep in the fridge for about a week and in the freezer for several months. You can make enmoladas with it (basically enchiladas with mole), thin it out into a salad dressing, serve it over fish or shrimp, or one of my personal favorites, mole pie. Mole pie is basically a casserole. Shred cooked chicken, pour mole over it, and put it into a baking dish and top with a pie pastry. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and you´re done! Makes a hearty meal.

I hope that you give this sauce a try sometime. The taste isn´t for every palate, but for those of us who do appreciate it, it is some of the best stuff on the planet. I will definitely be making more in the future as I feel the need to perfect the balance of flavors and textures.

Stay tuned as next week I´ll be posting the recap of our week in Mérida!