Vargr
Vargr
|
Vargr loves making chicken soup, with noodles, dumplings or "other". This is a pretty easy and "standard" version you can use to base other variations off of. Vargr used "Pancit Canton" Flour Stick noodles, which are widely available in Asian markets throughout CA. The thick, soft texture is a good match and provides a hearty dish. But you can substitute the more common spaghetti, linguine, wide egg, or similar noodles as you wish.
For those who wish to make this in stove top or slow cooker form, the recipe works just as well as written. Simply substitute the appropriate cooking times for your desired method.
This wuffy frequently alters the spices used, or includes white meat with the dark, when making his soups. That's why this is the "V1" version. Those altered versions have significantly different flavor profiles, and provide a wonderful variety in tastes. Wuff will post those too, from time to time. But, give this one a try on a cool Winter day, and you'll love the way it scents the house with 'home memories" aromas, and leaves a satisfied warm feeling in your middle to ward off the chill outside.
~~~~~
Chicken Noodle Soup V1 (Pressure cooker)
Ingredients:
1 Med Onion, diced
2 Med Carrots, sliced into 1/8†discs
3 Stalks Celery, sliced into 1/4†segments
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Pepper
2 Tbls Olive Oil
4 Chicken Thigh Quarters
1 Qt Chicken Stock
2 C Water
1.5 Tbls “Chicken Base†(Better than Bullion Chicken Base)
2 Tsp Crushed/Ground Rosemary
2 Tsp Minced Dried Garlic
2 Tsp Ground Savory
1 Tsp Dried Marjoram
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ Package (4oz) Asian “Pancit Canton†Flour Stick noodles
Additional Granulated Garlic, Savory, Thyme, Salt, and Pepper, as needed, to taste.
Preparation:
In a 6 Qt pressure cooker, heat the olive oil over high heat, and add the veggies. Stir and saute' until the onions turn translucent.
Place the chicken thighs on top of the veggies, and add the remaining liquids, chicken base, and spices. Don't put the noodles in yet.
Let the liquid begin to boil, then cover with the pressure top and allow to come to operating pressure at high heat. Reduce heat to “maintenance†temperature for your cooker (varies by stove, cooker, and volume of ingredients).
Allow to cook at operating pressure for 40 minutes. Turn off heat, and allow pressure to reduce naturally.
Carefully remove top. Gently remove the chicken thighs (they'll be VERY tender and falling apart!) to a colander over another pot to catch the juices. Remove skin and de-bone (CAREFUL, hot!). Break up the bigger chunks of meat, if necessary, and return all meat to the cooker. Return the captured juices from the pot under the colander.
Taste, and adjust and freshen spices as desired.
Add the noodles, and bring to light boil over medium heat. If using the “Flour stick†noodles, will only need about 3-4 minutes of cooking until they're ready.
Serve and enjoy! Makes 6-8 servings.
Notes and Options:
The “Pancit Canton†Flour Stick noodles are available in most Asian (and many “standard†grocery) markets. They are a little like Ramen noodles, but a lot thicker and come (at least this version) in a large square 'pillow' about 8X8X3 with a light 'corn yellow' color. They cook much faster than more common store-bought spaghetti or linguine, and end up thicker and softer – a very nice match with the soup. However, you can substitute more common linguine or spaghetti if you can't find the flour stick noodles. But you'll need to cook them longer, and the texture will be different. Don'[t boil the flour stick noodles too long, or they get very soft and spongy. They'll also soak up a lot of the broth over time, but that's not really a bad thing (the flavor is wonderful!).
This could also be made in a crock pot or slow cooker. It will take much longer, of course (probably 4-6 hours on high, 6-8 on low), but the results should be very similar. The chicken is likely to be a bit more solid at the end. You'll still need to “freshen†the spices at the end of the cooking time, since both the pressure cooker and slow cooker tend to deplete the spices' potency during the cooking cycle.
Finally, 4 chicken thigh quarters render up a fare amount of chicken fat during the cooking process. If you're watching your fat intake and want a lighter, lower calorie version, try this: Before adding the noodles, allow the cooked chicken to cool. Skim the solidified fat off the top. Then bring back to a mild boil and add the noodles to the reduced-fat mixture. (Keep the chicken fat (schmaltz) if you like. It makes great Matzo and other recipes. Freezing will keep it longer if you're not using it immediately.)
Last edited on Fri Dec 31st, 2010 02:23 pm by Vargr
____________________
We grow not old, so long as we continue to chase our dreams.
|
