recipes: chicken soups; mexican chicken & rice
kass and
astolat and I were talking about homemade chicken stock, and I pointed out how many wonderful soups rely on homemade chicken stock, and then
kass asked about Mexican chicken and rice, and here we are. (All these recipes are adapted from Cook's Illustrated.)
Before we begin, let me point you to two easy and yummy Moroccan-ish recipes that I've posted before; they don't require homemade stock but can certainly be made with it: Chicken with zucchini, harissa, and couscous, and Moroccan-style lentil soup with chicken, chickpeas, and harissa. (I should also mention that I now make my own harissa, since the store-bought harissa I can get locally is sub-par; if anyone else is in the same boat and needs a recipe, let me know.)
Now: soup!
I like traditional chicken noodle soup (and have a great recipe if you need it), but I don't love it. I'm more likely to make one of these first two soups, depending on the season. These recipes assume that you are starting from scratch, uncooked chicken in hand; obviously if you already have stock and leftover shredded chicken, they will be quicker and easier.
Winter Chicken Soup with Leeks, Wild Rice, and Mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), breast removed and split, remaining chicken cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into medium dice
2 quarts boiling water
Table salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup wild rice, cooked according to package instructions
1/2 ounce dried shitake mushrooms (or other dried wild mushrooms)
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium leek, rinsed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced thin crosswise
8 oz domestic mushrooms or wild mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Ground black pepper
1. Heat oil in large soup kettle. When oil shimmers and starts to smoke, add chicken breast halves; sauté until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add chopped onions to kettle; sauté until colored and softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; set aside. Add half of chicken pieces; sauté until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onions. Sauté remaining chicken pieces. Return onions and chicken pieces (excluding breasts) to kettle. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to high; add boiling water along with both breast halves, 2 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves. Return to simmer, then cover and barely simmer until chicken breasts are cooked and broth is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes. Remove 1 cup of broth and pour over dried mushrooms, let rehydrate for 30 minutes.
2. Remove chicken breasts from kettle; set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove skin from breasts, then remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bone. Strain broth; discard bones. Skim fat from broth, reserving 2 tablespoons. (Broth and meat can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.)
3. Return soup kettle to medium-high heat. Add reserved chicken fat. Add carrot and leek; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms; continue to sauté vegetables until mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes longer. Drain and chop dried mushrooms; strain soaking broth through strainer lined with coffee filter to remove grit. Add thyme, along with broth, chicken, strained mushroom soaking liquid, and chopped mushrooms to pot; simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors meld, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wild rice and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings, stir in parsley, and serve.
Summer Chicken Soup with Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Pasta
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), breast removed and split, remaining chicken cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into medium dice
2 quarts boiling water
Table salt
2 bay leaves
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced fairly thin
1 medium zucchini, cut into medium dice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 medium-sized fresh tomatoes, chopped (or half a 14oz can of diced tomatoes)
1 cup small pasta -- shells, orzo, ditali, macaroni, whatever
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
Ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Heat oil in large soup kettle. When oil shimmers and starts to smoke, add chicken breast halves; sauté until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add half of chopped onions to kettle; sauté until colored and softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; set aside. Add half of chicken pieces; sauté until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onions. Sauté remaining chicken pieces. Return onions and chicken pieces (excluding breasts) to kettle. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to high; add boiling water along with both breast halves, 2 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves. Return to simmer, then cover and barely simmer until chicken breasts are cooked and broth is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes.
2. Remove chicken breasts from kettle; set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove skin from breasts, then remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bone. Strain broth; discard bones. Skim fat from broth, reserving 2 tablespoons. (Broth and meat can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.)
3. Return soup kettle to medium-high heat. Add reserved chicken fat. Add remaining onions, along with carrot and zucchini; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, along with broth, tomatoes, and chicken; simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors meld, 10 to 15 minutes. Add shells and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings, stir in basil, and serve with parmesan cheese on the side.
Farmhouse Chicken Chowder
Thick, rich, creamy, super-satisfying. I also do a southwestern variation on this one: poblano or anaheim chile instead of bell pepper, cilantro instead of parsley, and add a cup of corn (fresh is best, frozen will do) with the chicken. I usually substitute sour cream + milk for cream in this version.
4 oz bacon (or bacon ends), chopped
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups chicken stock
2-3 cups shredded chicken
2 lbs potatoes (Yukon Golds are best, but you can also use a mix of russet and red), cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 carrot, sliced thin
1 bell pepper (I prefer red or yellow, but green will work), stemmed, seeded, cut in 1/2 inch dice
1 cup heavy cream (or, if you don't have cream on hand, 1/2 cup sour cream whisked with 1/2 cup milk)
2 Tbs minced parsley (or however much you want)
salt and pepper
1. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 5-7 minutes. Transfer half the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate (a slotted spoon works best).
2. Add the onion to the remaining bacon and fat and cook until softened, another 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook another 30 seconds. It should smell amazing. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about a minute.
3. Whisk in the broth, scraping up browned bits as you go. (This is not a precision endeavor, but a whisk does help; a wooden spoon will do in a pinch.) Stir in the potatoes and carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the veggies are nearly tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and continue simmering until everything is tender but not mushy, 5-12 minutes.
4. Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer. (If you're using sour cream + milk, temper it with a ladle-ful of broth before stirring the mixture into the soup.) Stir in the shredded chicken and let it heat through, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley, check salt, and add pepper to taste. Garnish individual bowls with the reserved bacon (crunchy AND fancy!).
Mexican-Style Chicken and Rice
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or grated (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small bell pepper (I prefer red, but green works too), stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3 cups medium-grain rice (long grain works too, but the texture will be a little off)
1/2 cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers (if you've got them -- they're not a dealbreaker)
1/2 cup jarred pimentos, cut into 1/4 by 2-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add oregano, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium.) Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and water; stir to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add rice, olives, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. Return pot to oven. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry or bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. (Yeah, this part is kinda gross.) Place chicken in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and pimentos; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
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