The Essential James Beard Cookbook (10 page)

VARIATION

ARTICHOKE SOUP:
Boil 3 or 4 large artichokes in a pot of lightly salted water until tender. Remove the bottoms, discarding the chokes. Scrape the artichoke meat from the leaves and discard the leaves. Purée the artichoke bottoms and meat; you should have 1 cup. Use in place of the sliced or chopped vegetable.

Vegetable/Seasoning Combinations for Basic Cream of Vegetable Soup

Jerusalem Artichokes/Fennel Seed

Parsnips/Cinnamon

Rutabagas/Rosemary

Pumpkin/Nutmeg

Salsify/Chervil

Summer Squash/Dill

Winter Squash/Ginger

BLACK BEAN SOUP

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

One of the greatest of all American soups, this version comes from Leon Lianides, owner of the Coach House Restaurant in New York, where it was a specialty of the house. Black bean soup freezes well and is worth making in quantity.
Hot corn sticks
are wonderful accompaniments.

2 cups dried black beans

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped

3 leeks, white and pale green part only, well washed and coarsely cut

1 celery rib, coarsely cut

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 bay leaves

2 or 3 whole cloves

1 ham hock, split, with bone and rind

3 pounds beef or veal bones

8 whole black peppercorns

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 to 5 quarts water

½ cup Madeira wine

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 or 3 finely chopped hard-boiled eggs, thin slices of lemon, for garnish

Soak the beans overnight in cold water to cover. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a stockpot, add the onions, leeks, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and cloves. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the ham shank and bones and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the peppercorns and flour and blend well. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then add 4 to 5 quarts water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, skim off the scum, and simmer for 8 to 10 hours, covered, except for a small air space between the pot and lid. Strain the stock, discarding the bones, bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorns. Return the stock and remaining vegetables to the pot.

Drain the soaked beans, add them to the pot, and simmer a further 2½ hours, stirring occasionally. If the mixture gets too thick or if the beans are not completely covered with liquid, add more water. When the beans are soft, purée all the ingredients by processing in batches in a blender with the lid ajar or in a food processor. Reheat the puréed soup with the Madeira. Serve, sprinkling each serving with chopped parsley and hard-boiled egg, and top with a lemon slice.

Editor: Mario Batali’s temple to Italian-inspired gastronomy, Babbo, is in the same location as the Coach House, passing the culinary torch.

BORSCH

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

There are many version of borsch. This one makes an excellent one-dish meal for supper or a winter lunch, when served with some good black bread and butter, and followed by cheese and fruit. There should be a balance of sweet and sour, so adjust the lemon juice and sugar to taste. If possible, add cooked meat from the stock for a heartier soup.

3 quarts
Beef Stock

4 or 5 small raw beets, shredded

4 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 or 3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups cooked beef (from the Beef Stock), diced

Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot. Add the beets and simmer 15 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables, and cook until the potatoes and cabbage are soft and sufficiently overcooked to give the soup body, about 40 minutes. Add the lemon juice and as much sugar as needed to augment the natural sweetness of the beets, adjusting the ratio to taste. Stir in the cooked beef and serve in large heated bowls or soup plates.

CALIFORNIA GAZPACHO

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

The Spanish gazpacho had become one of the most universally popular uncooked, cold soups and, as was to be expected, variations have proliferated. Traditionally, the soup is a combination of puréed raw vegetables, garlic, bread crumbs, oil, vinegar, water, and seasonings—served well chilled with an ice cube in the soup plate and a garnish, passed in separate bowls, of the same vegetables, finely chopped, and sometimes small croutons. This version has more texture and needs no vegetable garnish.

For the Soup

2½ cups chilled tomato juice, as needed

3 pounds ripe tomatoes

2 cucumbers

½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

¹
⁄
₃
cup olive oil

3 tablespoons wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

¼ teaspoon Tabasco

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Croutons

1 cup diced (½-inch) day-old white bread

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

To make the soup: Pour enough tomato juice into an ice cube tray to make 6 cubes; freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.

Peel and seed the tomatoes and chop finely, saving as much of the juice as possible. Peel the cucumbers, split lengthwise, scoop out seeds with a teaspoon, and chop finely. Combine the tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups of tomato juice, the cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, oil, vinegar, garlic, and Tabasco in a large mixing bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir well, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until very cold, 3 or 4 hours.

To make the croutons: Sauté the bread cubes in the olive oil with the garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned on all sides, tossing them well. Do not let the bread or the garlic burn. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool.

Taste the gazpacho for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, Tabasco, and garlic, if needed. Serve in chilled bowls or soup plates with a frozen tomato-juice cube in each and pass the croutons in a bowl.

MY FAVORITE CLAM CHOWDER

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Mother took a dim view of the average clam chowder. The one we loved was magnificently creamy and filled with the smokiness of bacon and piquancy of thyme. The clams and their juice were added at the moment of serving, and this timing, together with the seasoning, made it, we thought, better than any chowder on the beach in Gearhart.

2 dozen shucked razor, cherrystone, quahog, or littleneck clams; or about 1½ cups with liquid

3 thick slices bacon

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups boiling salted water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups half-and-half or whole milk

Unsalted butter, for finishing

Dried thyme, for garnish

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Strain the clams over a bowl, reserving the liquid. With a sharp knife, finely chop the clams and set them aside. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp and browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Sauté the onion in the bacon fat until lightly browned. Simmer the potatoes in a large saucepan in the salted water until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the reserved clam liquid and bacon to the potatoes and their cooking liquid, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the half-and-half, bring to a boil, and add the clams. Cook until they are barely heated through. Taste and correct the seasoning. To each serving, add a dollop of butter, a pinch of thyme, and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

NOTE:
Salt pork can be substituted for the bacon. Also, the size of the clams will determine the number. We used medium cherrystones at Gearhart.

COLD MINTED PEA SOUP

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

This is one of my favorite summer soups, which can be made with yogurt instead of cream if you like a tarter soup with fewer calories.

6 cups
Chicken Stock

3 pounds fresh peas in the pod (3¾ cups shelled peas) or 3¾ cups thawed frozen peas

1 small yellow onion, stuck with 2 whole cloves

1 garlic clove, crushed under a knife and peeled

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups heavy cream or yogurt

Chopped fresh mint, for garnish

Put the stock in a large pot with the onion, garlic, tarragon, and peas. Cook until the peas are just tender. Remove and discard the onion. Add salt and pepper to taste and purée in a blender with the lid ajar or in a food processor. Combine with the cream or yogurt and refrigerate. Serve well chilled with a generous sprinkling of mint.

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Editor: As the first course for a company dinner, or as a cold-weather lunch, cream of mushroom soup is very versatile. Cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms are more flavorful than white mushrooms, and can be used, but they make a darker soup.

1 pound white mushrooms

4 cups
Chicken Stock

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons sherry or Cognac (optional)

¼ teaspoon Tabasco

Kosher salt

Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth and break off the stems. In a large pot, simmer the stems in the stock for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the mushroom flavor has thoroughly permeated the stock. Strain the stock through a sieve into a bowl; discard the stems. Return the stock to the pot. Mix the flour and butter into a paste, beurre manié, and roll into tiny balls. Bring the stock to a boil; drop in the balls of beurre manié and beat in with a whisk until the beurre manié is absorbed and the stock is slightly thickened. Slice the mushroom caps thinly and add them to the thickened broth. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the cream in another pan, stirring, until just at the simmering point. Add the sherry, if using, and stir in the cream. Stir in the Tabasco and season with salt. Reheat the soup until hot, but not boiling, and serve in heated soup plates or cups.

CREAM OF PEA SOUP

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Editor: If you make this with fresh peas, be sure that they are very fresh, sweet, and tender. Beard recommends frozen peas without reservations, knowing that they are sometimes more reliable than starchy, over-the-hill fresh peas. You may have to use more or less cream, depending on the thickness of the puréed peas.

5 pounds fresh peas in the pod, shelled (6¼ cups) or use 6¼ cups thawed frozen peas

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups light cream

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Cook the peas and onion in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain, and purée in a blender with the lid ajar or in a food processor. Transfer to a saucepan over low heat, and stir in the butter and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly add the cream, and stir until well blended and very hot. Serve garnished with the chopped parsley and chives.