Cream of Tomato Soup

Growing up in a single parent household with two hungry siblings, we relied heavily on simple, quick meals to get us through the week when mom had to work late.  That meant quite a few casseroles (Penny Casserole, Chicken a la king), baked Italian pastas (it took me a few years of not living at home until I could eat a stuffed shell again) and of course - Grilled Cheese with Cream of Tomato Soup.

When I hear "Cream of Tomato Soup",  like millions of Americans, I think of the salty, savory flavor of Campbell's Condensed Cream of Tomato Soup.  Tasty for sure, but one dimensional.  But, if Campbell's is 1D, the version of the soup in Saveur's 101 Classic Recipes produces a soup that is full on 3-D.

 The ingredients are:

4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 15-oz can whole, peeled, crushed by hand
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
Creme fraiche, croutons and finely chopped chives, to garnish

Many of the recipes in that I have been cooking call for the use of a 4-quart saucepan, but in my experience the more room your food has to cook, the better the final results.  The bottom of my pot is a bit thinner than my saucepan, so I have to keep a closer eye on the flame that I cook with to make sure the food doesn't burn or heat more quickly than I'd like, but that tends to be the only difference for me.  Plus the wooden spoon makes a satisfying clang when I bang the remnants off of it by hitting the side of the stock pot.  When I hit the spoon on the side of the saucepan the sound it makes is more of a "plink".

I placed my stock pot on medium heat and heated the bacon until all the fat had rendered out and the bacon had crisped nicely. 

I then added the butter, cranked the heat up a bit and added the onion, garlic and carrot, stirring until it had softened and the onions had become translucent, about 10 minutes.  I was surprised that there was no celery in the recipe, leaving the traditional soup/sauce base mirepoix incomplete.  That would be an interesting addition when I make the recipe again.

I tossed in the tomato paste and cooked until caramelized a bit, then added the flour and cooked while stirring constantly (about 5 minutes total).

 Next - the big dump.  Into the pot went the stock, thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes and once they had boiled, I reduced the heat to low and simmered the soup until it had reduced a bit, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the soup had finished cooking I removed it from the stove and engaged my trusty immersion blender to puree the heck out of it.  After pureeing the soup, I stirred in the cream and seasoned lightly with salt, but liberally with pepper.

For garnish the recipe calls for creme fraiche, croutons and diced chives which posed some problems. Trying to stay as low carb as possible, croutons were out,  I checked a few local groceries and couldn't find creme fraiche, so I tried to make it at home using a recipe I found online (two cups buttermilk mixed with one tablespoon of lemon juice, left on the counter, covered, overnight), but it was unsuccessful.  Instead, to plate (do you "plate" soup?  Maybe you "bowl" it?) the soup I  used sour cream mixed with a little milk and chopped chives.

Cream of Tomato Soup - Schuler Version

I made the soup for a group of friends (as all great cooking should be) and there wasn't a lick left in each bowl when they finished.  In comparison to the salty, almost tinny taste of the Campbell's Tomato soup, this was fresh tasting with a smoky undertone from the bacon.  I am a big fan of sour cream in all forms and one of my favorite moments in eating this was when I would put a spoonful in my mouth and the hot, savory soup would first coat my tongue, only to be extinguished by the creamy, tart taste of the sour cream.  Kind of like the mouth feel of cool blue cheese on a chicken wing.  Yum.

I'll probably make this again, but to me the experience of making this soup is a little less about this final product as it is about learning the basic structure of the recipe and playing with the parts - Cream of  Potato, Cream of Asparagus, Cream of Parsnip, Cream of  Broccoli, etc, etc.  I'm a big fan of the skill of "Kitchen Cupboard" Cooking.  That is, the ability to look into the kitchen cupboard, fridge and pantry and making a great meal out of whatever is in there.  Culinary problem solving at its finest.

Credit: Todd Coleman

16 down, 85 to go!

Beef Stroganoff

Growing up, everyone has certain food or dishes that become staples in the family menu and get passed on from generation to generation.  In the Schuler household we had several. Rice Ole, Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast, Turkey Casserole with Cranberry Pinwheels and of course, the creamy, beefy, noodle-y masterpiece, Beef Stroganoff.  The version that we enjoyed in our family consisted of hamburger, onion, mushrooms and sour cream cooked up and served over buttered noodles.  When I first saw "Stroganoff" on the list, I was excited, but this version is bit different than the one I grew up on, substituting matchstick potatoes for noodles, beef tenderloin for hamburger and without mushrooms.

The ingredients for this version of the recipe are:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
11/2 lb beef tenderloin, cut into 3" x 1" x 1/2" slices
Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Canola oil, for frying
4 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8" matchsticks
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley.

As with many recipes, in order to get the dish done properly, you have to be able to multitask efficiently.  You must create a roux and the sauce; peel, slice and fry the potatoes, cook the beef and onions and then bring everything together.  Usually not a big issue for me, but through in taking notes and pictures...and we have a party! 

First on the agenda was to peel, slice chop the potatoes into matchstick potatoes.  After chopping them, I put them between paper towels to draw out a bit of the excess moisture.  A trick to crispy matchstick fries is to make sure they are as dry as possible, and placing them into oil that is properly heated.  I poured the oil to a depth of about 1 1/2" in a dutch over and heated to 375 degrees.  Working in batches I fried the potatoes up until they were golden and crisp (about 5 minutes).  It took me a batch or two to figure the right amount of potatoes to put in at once (about a cup and a half) as when you put too many into the oil at once, they drop the temperature of the oil down faster than the burner can heat it, not only slowing down cooking, but slowing the frying process, resulting in a greasy fry.  When the potatoes were done cooking I removed them with a metal slotted spoon and placed them on paper towels to drain, then sprinkled them with kosher salt.

While the potatoes were frying up, I took 1/2 of the butter and melted it in a saucepan and added the flour and dry mustard, cooking for about two minutes.  If you like a nutty flavor to your sauces, continue cooking the roux (flour and butter mixture) for another 30 seconds to a minute and it will start to brown a bit.  I then added the chicken stock slowly, whisking constantly.  I brought that (basically chicken gravy) to a boil and cooked until it thickened a bit, and mixed in the sour cream.  Once the sour cream was fully incorporated, I took it off the heat and set it aside.

With the sauce under control, I sliced the onions and sauteed them in the remaining butter  until soft and a bit caramelized (about 6 minutes).  With the onions underway, I sliced the beef and placed it in the pan, cooking until the bits were cooked to about medium.  When you make stroganoff with hamburger, you have to cook it completely, but with the beef, I figured that it would continue cooking in the sauce for a bit and I wanted to make sure that it was cooked enough to eliminate the blood that may still be in the meat, but keep it from overcooking in the sauce and make it tough and stringy.

When the meat was cooked, I emptied the saucepan into the skillet and brought it back up just below a boil.  I plated the dish by placing the beef and sauce mixture on the plate, setting a handful of potatoes on top of it and then sprinkling with parsley.

I had the same problem with this stroganoff that I had with the version that my mother made, I couldn't get enough!  The meat turned out just right, tender and moist.  The sauce had that fantastic sour cream tang, but deeper flavors thanks to the onion and dry mustard.  The potatoes were OK, but in a next round, I would slice the matchsticks smaller.  Mine ended up being more like fries than matchsticks (see pic above).  I still prefer noodles though.  I did miss the mushrooms, which would be easy enough to add into the recipe.

Credit: Todd Coleman

My dining companions (Kim and my sister Brooke) were big fans of the meal.  Enough that we had no leftovers.  They enjoyed the flavor and Kim was especially happy to not have to pick out mushrooms from her dinner.

Another recipe in the books, and again, a recipe that I will make in some form again in future.  Next on the list - my first ever attempt at Indian Cuisine - Saag Paneer.  Should be interesting!

8 down, 93 to go.