Text 9742, 99 rader
Skriven 2006-12-23 10:10:00 av Ian Hoare
     Kommentar till en text av Carol Shenkenberger
Ärende: Re: Ok, Ok, I give up
=============================
 TID: PX/Win v3.0pr5a PX96-0746M2
 MSGID: 1:275/311 5bb5fddb
 TZUTC: -0500
Hi Carol, 

 on Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:59:44 -0500, you said:-

>Oh, I use them sometimes.  Less now that we've found Don's blood-pressure is 
>salt reactive though.  Most of my 'stocks' are made at home as a byproduct of 
>my cooking style.  The rest is dashi which I deliberately make up <g>.
>
>Sorry, Dashi may not be something you are used to much but I imagine you've 
>seen the term here at least from me.  It's a 'fish stock' but so mild in it's 
>fishyness that it is not obvious it is other than 'some sort of meaty thing ad

>something else' (the seaweed is the something else and it is glorious when
made
>right).

Oddly enough, although I had some vague idea about what it was, I wasn't
really very familiar. I can't bring myself to like such Japanese food as
I've tasted, with a couple of exceptions. However there was a fascinating
program on the TV the other day where a famous british seafood chef and TV
persona (Rick Stein) has been spotted cooking "sashimi" by the Japanese
Ambassador to the Court of st James'. The said amabassador said words to the
effect that as a sashimi it was a disgrace, and he'd not employ Stein as a
dishwasher on the basis of that demonstration. Well one thing led to another
and Rick Stein went to Japan for a week/month (I don't recall) to learn
about the japanese approach to cooking, and with the challenge of cooking a
japanese banquet for the Ambassador and his guests on his return.

Anyway, all that to say that we had a very clear demonstration of what dashi
is and how it's made on the TV. Fascinating - and he too used some black
seaweed in it.

>An American, generally doesnt make 'soup' except as a 'meal' so are not used
to
>a real 'soup starter' idea.  It seems too much trouble.  They generally have 4

>items (or 3) and soup if it is one of them, is apt to be the main item.

yes, I'd noticed that a few years ago. I don't know if you remember but I
commented (perhaps sounding a bit critical) about how think and stewlike
most USian soup recipes were, and had it explained to me in words of one
syllable (as if for some mental deficient) that that's how they were
supposed to be, as they were the main dish! The concept of making a french
onion soup as I did today for the family, to go before sandwiches for a
light lunch seemed to be unknown. 

As it happens we ALWAYS start our dinner menus with a more-or-less light
soup, so we have that in common.

Here's what I did

French onion soup

Starter, french, soup, vegetables

12 Servings

1500 gms large sweet onions; sliced very thinly
85 gms butter
2 tbs oil
2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbs flour; all purpose
300 mls dry white wine
4 ltrs stock; half duck half veg
2 tbs french mustard
4 tbs brandy
S&P to season

Halve onions, slice very thinly and then sweat, covered with the butter and
oil over very gentle heat for about ten minutes, until well softened. Remove
cover, turn up heat to high, and add the sugar and salt. Cook stirring
occasionally at first and then more or less continually as the onions dry
out and start taking colour. If at any time the bottom of the pan becomes
covered with caramelised onion juices, add a little boiling water and stir
it up to dissolve them and prevent them burning. Once the onions have
reached a DEEP reddish brown (about 40 to 50 minutes and there's no short
cut) reduce heat slightly, add the flour, stir well and cook for a minute or
two to absorb the fats. Now add the wine - back on high heat again - and
bring to the boil as best you can, because you'll have a thick wodge. Now
add about half a litre of stock off the heat, stirring well to incorporate
it. Continue until the texture is even - no lumps. Now add the rest of the
stock, bring to a boil, boil fast for a moment to finish removing the
alcohol, and then turn down to a gentle simmer. 

Simmer 40-50 minutes add the mustard, correct seasoning and serve, tipping
in the brandy totally at the last minute. You can sprinkle witjh grated
gruyere, but we prefer not to gratinee the soup with bread, which we find
makes it too heavy.

Whew

Bon appetit
Ian in Forges
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a
 * Origin: FidoTel & QWK on the Web! www.fidotel.com (1:275/311)