Soups
NapaStyle : Episode FLNST-210
Most soups, stews and sauces start with a base of chicken stock — 5 pounds of chicken yields about 1 gallon of stock. During cooking, the gelatin from the chicken bones will release, resulting in a rich, flavorful stock (typically, canned stocks do not have as much flavor as homemade stock and contain a high concentration of salt). Chicken stock will usually keep in a freezer for up to four months.
- Butternut squash is a beige-colored winter squash with a firm, orange flesh that can be used to make soup. Try combining with apples and simmering until tender (about 40 minutes). The acidity of the apples will balance the sweetness of the squash.
- For home-style onion soup, use any combination of onions you like: yellow, red, leeks, shallots, cipolline or green.
- Pernod is a French anise-flavored liquer that is often used in vegatables and soups.
- Panzanella, a dish that goes great with soup, tends to change with the seasons depending on which vegetables are the freshest. Italians make it during the summer when they can get juicy, ripe tomatoes to moisten the bread.
- To make croutons, cut bread into cubes and bake at 350 degrees until crispy.
What to Drink with Soup
Riesling, which can be either sweet or dry, is a white wine grape variety that has floral aromas and fruity notes. Cabernet Savignon is a red wine grape variety that is characteristically powerful and assertive with dark tannic flavors. Both wines compliment soups — Reisling can be paired with butternut squash soup and Cabernet Sauvignon with onion soup.
- Always match your wine to the ingredients within the soup.
- For pureed soups, cut the richness of the soup down with a tart wine.
Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
St. Helena, Calif.
707-967-1100
www.ciachef.edu/greystone
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