The Minimalist Cooks Dinner (4 page)
Read The Minimalist Cooks Dinner Online
Authors: Mark Bittman
Two Ways
For years I was stuck on blended or cooked cucumber soups, until I was served a clear, chunky, ice-cold soup laced with soy and the sour-sweet-salty-spicy combination characteristic of so much Southeast Asian cooking. After I duplicated that, it occurred to me to make a similar preparation with nam pla (fish sauce) and coconut milk, an equally spicy but wonderfully creamy concoction. I doubt I’ll ever use either the blender or the stove to make cucumber soups again.
TIME:
30 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
3 cups chicken stock, preferably chilled
2 medium cucumbers
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
1 small chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or ¼ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
½ cup minced trimmed scallions, both white and green parts
1 cup washed and chopped watercress or arugula, optional
1 cup washed and roughly chopped cilantro, mint, Thai basil, or a combination
If the chicken stock is not cold, throw it in the freezer while you prepare the cucumbers. Peel them, then cut them in half the long way; use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Slice them as thinly as possible (a mandoline is ideal for this). Mix them in a bowl with the soy sauce, vinegar, chile, and sugar and let them sit, refrigerated, for about 20 minutes.
Add the stock, scallions, and watercress or arugula if you like, and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then chill or serve. Just before serving, garnish with the herbs.
| WINE | With the Asian-style soup, a fruity Riesling or Gewürztraminer; with the European-style soup, a crisp Graves or Sauvignon Blanc |
| SERVE WITH | With the Asian-style soup, Rice Salad with Peas and Soy or any grain salad. With the European-style soup, Olive Oil Croutons or any good bread |
TIME:
30 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
1½ cups chicken stock, preferably chilled
2 medium cucumbers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups yogurt, preferably full-fat
2 shallots, peeled and minced, or about ¼ cup minced red onion or scallion
1 cup washed and chopped watercress, optional
1 cup washed and roughly chopped dill or mint
If the chicken stock is not cold, throw it in the freezer while you prepare the cucumbers. Peel them, then cut them in half the long way; use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Slice them as thinly as possible (a mandoline is ideal for this). Mix them in a bowl with 2 teaspoons salt and let sit, refrigerated, for about 20 minutes.
Add the stock, black pepper, yogurt, shallots, and watercress, if you like, and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then chill or serve. Just before serving, garnish with the herbs.
THE TIME SPENT
in making these soups lies mostly in chilling: Refrigerate the cucumbers as their moisture is drawn out; refrigerate the stock, yogurt, or sour cream that is their base; and, if time allows, refrigerate the soup itself so you can serve it really cold.
THE LIVELY FLAVOR
of these soups derives largely from a load of herbs—you can vary them, but don’t omit them.
ASIAN-STYLE CUCUMBER SOUP
Cucumber-Coconut Soup:
Substitute 2 cups coconut milk and 1 cup water for the stock and, if you have it, nam pla (Thai fish sauce) for the soy sauce.
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Add some precooked shrimp to the soup just before serving.
EUROPEAN-STYLE CUCUMBER SOUP
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Substitute sour cream for the yogurt (you can use water in place of chicken stock if you like). Add the juice of ½ lemon to the cucumbers while they sit in the salt.
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Toss some cooked, shredded chicken meat into the soup before serving.
Chestnut Soup
TIME:
45 to 60 minutes or less
MAKES:
4 servings
Chestnuts have a subtle but distinctive flavor; another, less-well-known attribute is their ability to lend a rich, creamy texture to anything in which they’re pureed—making cream completely superfluous. This soup is a perfect example, and if you can find frozen, peeled chestnuts, it’s the work of a moment. But even if you cannot, the chestnut-peeling process takes about 20 minutes start to finish, and much of that time is unattended; you can use it to chop and cook the vegetables.
10 large chestnuts, peeled or unpeeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
2 cups chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups good chicken stock Chopped celery leaves or parsley
If you have peeled chestnuts, proceed to step 2. If your chestnuts still have their skins, preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a sharp (preferably curved) paring knife to make an “X” on their flat sides. Bake them in an open pan for 10 to 15 minutes, or until their peels begin to open away from the meat. They will then be easy to peel; remove both outer and inner skins while they are warm. (The peeled chestnuts will cook faster if you chop them roughly but it isn’t necessary.)
Meanwhile (if you have peeled chestnuts, start here), pour the olive oil into a deep skillet or casserole, turn the heat to medium, and heat for a couple of minutes. Add the celery, onion, and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and the chestnuts, bring to a boil, and partially cover. Adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers and cook until the chestnuts are mushy about 30 minutes.
Carefully purée the soup in a blender (if you are not in a hurry, cool it slightly first for extra caution). Measure and add sufficient water to total 6 cups of liquid. Reheat, adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish, and serve.
| WINE | Bordeaux or another big red |
| SERVE WITH | 60-Minute Bread or good store-bought bread; Roasted Peppers; Glazed Carrots |
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
with whole chestnuts is preferable, because they gain a bit of flavor as you toast them lightly to remove the skins.
CERTAINLY GOOD STOCK
is helpful; but even when made with decent canned stock, this soup has guts.
Chestnut Soup with Bacon:
Start by rendering ¼ cup or so of diced slab bacon; scoop out the solids and reserve them for a garnish. Then sauté the celery and onion in the rendered fat and proceed as above.
Chestnut Soup with Shiitake:
Garnish the soup with a cup or so of shiitake mushrooms (caps only), sliced and sautéed in butter or oil until lightly browned.
with Ham and
Greens
The soup draws its main flavors from olive oil, cured meat, and watercress. It gains substance and supporting flavors from the peas and a little onion. The combination is delicious, warming, and celebratory in a rustic way. Equally important is that it opens the door to a world of possibilities, since you can substitute for any or all of the principal ingredients without missing a step—see With Minimal Effort.
TIME:
40 to 60 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces ham or prosciutto, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups cooked, canned, or frozen black-eyed peas
2 cups watercress, washed, trimmed, and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a deep skillet or casserole and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the meat and cook, stirring, for a minute; then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and 4 cups water and bring to a boil; turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the peas are completely tender—10 minutes for cooked or canned black-eyed peas, about 30 minutes for frozen.
Stir in the watercress and cook, stirring occasionally for just a couple of minutes, or until it wilts. Add more water, if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and serve.
| WINE | Chianti or another light red |
| SERVE WITH | Cornbread, 60-Minute Bread , or good store-bought bread |
FROZEN BLACK-EYED PEAS
(and white beans, chickpeas, and others) can be found in the supermarket freezer, and their convenience and quality are unparalleled; they’re faster and easier to use than dried beans or peas and far better-tasting than canned ones. In the case of black-eyed peas, they need about half an hour of cooking to become fully tender. If you use precooked peas or those from a can (please rinse them first), the cooking time will be reduced to almost nothing.
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The meat can be prosciutto or ham; you can use bacon or pancetta instead, but cook them a little longer.
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Instead of onion, you can use garlic, leek, or shallots.
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Black-eyed peas are the traditional choice, but any legume will work perfectly well.
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For the watercress, substitute arugula or spinach, or any winter green, like kale, mustard, collards, and turnips, all of which will take a little longer to cook—add them to the soup along with the peas.
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Liquid condiments, like Tabasco or another hot sauce or vinegar, are good here.
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Increase the amount of meat to ½ pound or so (this is especially good with ham), double the amount of greens, and cook the soup until it’s thick; you can call it a stew.
