Today's is the twenty-seventh entry of my new series of Alphabetic recipes. Each day for the next month and more, I will be adding a new recipe linked to a different letter of the alphabet. As I collect recipes from all over the globe, and have lots of Welsh recipes, I am going to use a blend of the Welsh and English alphabets:
A | B | C | D | E | F | Ff | G | H | I | J | K | L | Ll | M | N | O | P | Q | R | Rh | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
so there will be 30 entries in total. As today is the twenty-seventh day in this series I am providing a recipe starting with the letter 'X'. This is a traditional recipe from Italy for a classic soup of dumplings in a chicken consommé (clear chicken broth) base.
Xavier Suppe Recipe
This is a traditional Italian recipe for a classic chicken and vegetable soup with flour and baked Parmesan cheese dumplings served garnished with parsley and chervil (it's also one of the few classic dishes beginning with the letter X).
Ingredients:
For the Chicken Consommé
bones from 2 cooked chicken carcasses including skin
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
6 black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
3 fresh parsley stalks
1 sprig fresh thyme
3 large egg whites
2 tsp arrowroot
To Garnish:
2 tbsp freshly-chopped parsley
large bunch of chervil, chopped
For the Dumplings:
150g flour
80g butter
150g Parmesan cheese
100ml cream
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Begin with the chicken consommé base. Combine all the ingredients (except the egg whites and the arrowroot) in a large pan and cover with water. Bring the mixture to a boil then carefully skim-off any scum that comes to the surface. Reduce to a low simmer then cook gently for between 2 and 3 hours.
After this time, strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double layer of muslin into a bowl. Set aside to cool then place in the refrigerator to chill over night.
The following day remove any fat from the surface of the stock. You now need to clarify the stock to produce a consommé. Add the eggs to the stock and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into a large saucepan and gently bring to a simmer (do not allow it to boil).
Cook, stirring occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot from time to time, until the eggs begin to cook and rise to the surface (about 30 minutes). Allow the egg form to solidify and when it hardens make a small hole in the centre then simmer the mixture gently for 30 minutes.
Take the pot from the heat and strain into a large bowl. You should end up with a bowl of golden-yellow consommé. Place the consommé back on the heat and warm gently. Mix the arrowroot with 2 tbsp cold water and add to the consommé (this will help thicken it, whilst maintaining its clarity).
In the meantime, begin on the dumplings. Combine the flour, butter and parmesan cheese in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the butter has melted and is incorporated into the cheese and flour. Add the cream a tablespoon at a time until the ingredients come together as a solid dough.
Take the pan off the heat and work in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg and egg yolk (you are aiming for a thick icing-like consistency [ie you should only just be able to pipe it]). If the dough is too solid add a little more cream. Put the mixture in a piping bag with the largest nozzle you have and pipe-out pea-sized balls onto a buttered baking tray and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat some salted water until it boils then drop in the 'dough peas'. Cook for five minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and add to the warm chicken consommée. Season the soup to taste then add the chervil and parsley. Serve immediately.
The recipe presented here is based, with permission, on the Celtnet Xavier Suppe recipe.
This recipe is brought to you in conjunction with the Celtnet Guide to Recipes Beginning with 'X'.
If you enjoyed this recipe, why not go over to the Celtnet site to download your completely FREE eBook of 45 Halloween recipes.
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