The Countess' Soup and Some Travelling Chickens....

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ #42          “ The Countess’ Soup”   – a rich, velvety Roasted Chicken and Molasses, ginger  and…soup.

Awoken in a haze, by the determined ringtone of my mobile  phone , it jumping up-and-down in vibrating-mode on the table, whilst I gathered my

 f luey  self  together to answer it, and to sound quite nonchalantly sprightly and fine….

But   ‘ The Countess Der Ehrenwerte Gräfin ’ knew  better ! 

Being mother-of-four  active kids, and well-trained in medically maintaining 6 dogs, and a menagerie of unexpected pets, from ‘ Goodness~Knows~Whats ’,  to  her   “Travelling Chickens”…well egg-laying hens to be precise.   Hens that OWN !  their own  ~Designer~  airfreight travelling boxes……..hens that have regular weekend vacations…. hens that travel every weekend from The City to her  farm!    

Yes, ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’   just couldn’t   fool   ‘ The Countess ’  !   

Obviously ‘Mavis’s   chicken soup was NOT  succeeding in washing away those flu gremlins, and her chicken soup  -  so I was told, “ would-do-the-trick ”.

The only snag was that ‘ The Countess'  ’  chicken soup was a l-e-n-g-t-h-y process…a 3-day procedure, culminating in the most amazing, gloriously, dark and velvety,  aromatic and flavourful very MORE-ish elixir… but could I  persuade my flu to wait around till that elixir was ready?

“Ratt-a-tatt-tatt!!!”, is that the doorbell……is someone at My  door?

Oh hell, just see what I  LOOK LIKE!  ….

I  answer to  ‘ The Countess ’  standing on the threshold, My f lu still clinging to me like a chimp to it’s mother, and there it was !

‘The Countess ’ proffers in my direction , a thermos flask of Specially-Made-For-‘Mavis CHICKEN SOUP !  …prêt-à-mange! 

…But NOT just ANY  chicken soup…this is a Family heirloom , of generations back, a labourious  labour-of-love.    A heavenly rich, syrupy thick treacle-coloured ,  twice-cooked,  ROASTCHICKEN soup ……. flavoured with fresh ginger & a chilli & lemon rind & molasses  too...

It’s been a year since ‘ The Countess Der Ehrenwerte Gräfin's  ’ soup tantalized My tastebuds, and I have been yearning for a huge potful, of my very, very own.  Finally, I made up my mind, a 3-day process it be!      I  HAD TO  make ‘ The Countess’  ’ roast chicken soup! 

My recipe is similar, as I DARE  NOT  divulge her family heirloom….

And so to recipes…..

      The Countess’ Roast                 Chicken Soup…

The Basics:

-You make a simple chicken stock (see My  blog #4 -  “Jewish Chicken Soup”  for the recipe) ….or you can use a good readymade stock.

-You roast a chicken, with a nice sweetish B-B-Q basting sauce,(not a smoky one!),  together with sliced onions , carrots, sweetpotatoes and celery stalk too. The skin of the roasted chicken must be a nice dark golden colour.

-You use all those things plus ALL the pan juices, together with a whole lot of fresh ginger, a fresh chili-or-two, grated lemon rind , a bayleaf, molasses  - oh well, I’ll give you my recipe and the instructions now…just here, below this!....

 Ingredients:

3 litres good chicken stock   – set aside to use later.

Then to roast:

1 whole roasting chicken

B-b-q basting sauce to marinate the chicken - ***(see my recipe below)

500g pack of chicken necks

2 to 3 large onions thickly sliced in rounds

3 large carrots sliced

I used 1 large whole sweet potato (unpeeled and not cut)

(or you can use ½ a butternut squash cut into pieces )

5 large cloves of garlic   - unpeeled

A drizzle of olive oil over the veggies

Method:

1) Lightly oil a large oven pan, and place the basted chicken onto a few sliced onions so it won’t stick to the pan.

2) Spread the assortment of cut veggies around the chicken, and drizzle with olive oil.

3) Roast, uncovered, at 180*C for 90 minutes.

4) Remove from oven .

5) When cool, remove most of the meat off the carcass, and set that aside  - reserving the carcass, all the skin and the crisp wings for the soup.

To make the soup:

1)  Into a large pot, put ALL the roasted veggies, the roasted necks, the roast chicken carcass, plus all the chicken skin, and all the juices from the pan. Then deglaze the pan with 2 cups boiling water, and add this to the soup pot.

Add :

2 bay leaves

A good 3 cm knob of fresh ginger sliced

2 to 3 fresh small red chilies

5 large whole cloves of fresh garlic cut in halves

4 tablespoons molasses (can substitute Treacle)

Finely grated rind of ½ a lemon

And the 3 litres of ordinary chicken stock (that you set aside earlier)

2) Let this simmer slowly with the lid on, on a low heat for at least 2½  hours.

3) Strain and let cool.

4) When completely cool put into the fridge overnight.

This soup when chilled should become almost jelly-like in consistancy, with a thin layer of oil…this is absorbed into the soup when heating it.

5) If you prefer, you can remove the fat when chilled.

Heat gently, as you don’t want the soup to boil away and evaporate!

*  Small portions are adequate, as this is very rich .

Yummmmmm….

***My Basting sauce  to roast the chicken:

4 tablespoons ketchup

4 tablespoons chutney (can substitute apricot jam)

4 tablespoons soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground paprika

2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)

½ teaspoon chopped garlic

Mix all ingredients together, then coat the chicken and leave covered for at least ½ hour  –(or leave overnight in the fridge) before roasting. Be sure to coat the chicken with any spare sauce before roasting.

(Bonus info : this sauce is super too, to marinade steaks or ribs as well.)

               

Ohhhh...It's a dogs life!

THE  Gräfin's  DOGS

So as usual - ‘til next week,

    ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

'It's all about lokshen and fe....'

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ # 41     It’s all about Lokshen and Fettuccine…

And what do you think I DO  with all that food that is photographed for ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’, huh?

It takes some creative juggling to decide what-to-make-when, and when-to-make-what!   

After all, how much can ‘ My M’  and ‘Me’ – yes, “We”,  consume, without  being hospitable? …Huh?

And so!

For the past many weeks, that brain-of-mine   has been overworking  “a-hundred-to-the-dozen”, as to whether or not, ‘You’   might enjoy a lokshen pudding?  ….....Welllll, truth-be-told, ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ was  challishing (Pronounced:  that first syllable being a guttural, rasping noise, as if clearing the back of the throat)  for a darn lokshen pudding !

There I  said it !  I admitted to my cravings, and submitted to my whim!

And as the taste of that lokshen pudding   grew stronger in ‘My Mind ‘  and overtook all notion of sensibility, the yearning grew unbearable until I  just put-my-foot-down!

I  said to that ‘Mind of Mine’ :   “Why not traipse to BloodyPack’nPiyClaremont  supermarket  and search the kosher section for some perfectly flat fettuccine-type egg noodles” - in Yiddish, called “Lokshen”.    

Yes – the “lokshen”, to make a stunning pudding…but alasssssss, no lokshen in that kosher section was there, as it seems that no-one kosher stocks that section…but *%#* lightbulbs #*+!^*  and !!exclamations!  !!  went “z i n g”!  in that brain , and VOILA! ...

A true epiphany! ...why not search the pasta aisle of BloodyPack’nPiyClaremont  supermarket ?    - after all, “Lokshen” really is just flat, wide  * *   >>?   EGG NOODLES…**& #!  * **   AKA:  “F-E-T-T-U-C-C-I-N-E”

And what do you know:  I glanced upon the ONLY option available…and a lot of glancing was done before I  was quite sure that the Italian egg-fettuccine was too, just like Katz’s Lokshen!  And bought it, I  did!

A quandary was next in ‘The Mind’ ,  that very, very same Mind of Mine  that forced that craving  -   as to what I  would do with a pudding that serves 12 to 14 generous portions?  And so Sunday lunch for family and friends,  was enjoyed by us all, culminating in my own delectably delumptious recipe of baked Lokshen Pudding…but not before Sweet Sister-in-Law , without my realizing, loaded some pics onto Facebook – she telling All, to find that recipe on “…‘Mavis”!

So, now I  am sQueezed  into sharing with you, LOKSHEN PUDDING….

And so to recipes…. 

LOKSHEN PUDDING…

INGREDIENTS:

500g egg noodles (Fettuccine)

4 ‘jumbo’-size(or extra-large) eggs

3 teaspoons finely grated orange rind

1 cup orange juice

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

½ cup seedless raisins (optional) - I prefer without.

125g butter

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Sprinkle the top with cinnamon

Golden Syrup/ or Maple Syrup / or honey  - to serve

THAT BOWL OF LOKSHEN...
...OR IS IT A BOWL OF FETTUCCINE ?

METHOD:

1) Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil.

2) Add the egg noodles/fettuccine, and cook till still firm - ‘al dente’  - just follow the cooking time instructions on the packet.

3) Remove from heat and drain, then leave this in the pot.

4) Dot blobs of butter onto the hot cooked noodles.......

FRESHLY COOKED AND DRAINED LOKSHEN
DOTTED WITH BLOBS OF BUTTER

5) Meanwhile have ready some freshly squeezed orange juice, and the grated orange rind.

6) In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, add the sugar, beat well, then add the orange juice, orange rind, vanilla essence, ground ginger.  

7) Pour this egg mixture into the pot with the cooked, warm, buttered noodles and gently mix well.

8) Add the raisins (optional)

9) Pour this final mixture into a buttered casserole ovenproof baking dish (not a deep dish).

10) Sprinkle with a little cinnamon

11) Bake at 150*C  for 35 to 40 minutes – until golden brown , and the noodles begin to be crisp on top.

 LOKSHEN PUDDING
 - BAKED UNTIL THE TOP IS CRISP AND GOLDEN BROWN

NOTE:

This should be nice and slightly crisp on the sides, as you do not  use a Bain Marie to bake this in!

Bain  Marie?   

 - a  ‘Bain Marie’  is a shallow water bath in which you place your filled dishes to bake – you would use an oven baking tray with enough water to reach ⅓ up the sides of the dish or ramekins.

A ‘Bain Marie’  is always used when baking egg&milk mixture desserts, to prevent a crust forming around the sides.

To SERVE:

Yields at least 12 to 14 portions

YUM!   - A PORTION OF WARM LOKSHEN PUDDING

Serve warm

Cut into generous squares.

When serving each guest, pour a spoonful of Golden Syrup or Maple Syrup….or a drizzle of honey over each serving.

…and I hope to see you sneak back after midnight to steal some  leftover cold pudding out of the fridge!


* Have you read my Blog # 17  "an Education..." I REALLY  enjoyed that!

So as usual - ‘til next week,

    ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

‘Mavis’s toys…& a Tapioca Brûlée

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ #40    ‘Mavis’s toys…& a tapioca brûlée

…’Mavis’s toys - Kochaleffels and Blowtorches…

 

You may recall my blog #34  in early April  - “An Acquired Taste” - with recipe:  “A  Kochaleffel’s  Kneidlach ” …  And what notion might ‘ You’  have,  in that busy mind of yours, could be a “Kochaleffel”? 

 

This is a wonderfully descriptive term , being a mixture of German and Lithuanian languages melded into Yiddish , the literal translation being :  “a cooking spoon”  – you know - to STIR-A-POT, yes! … a ‘pot stirrer’!

 

A “pot-stirrer”?:   Someone who “stirs”…in other words, someone who meddles in other peoples’ business, or someone who makes trouble…or…orrr  someone who…w-who just is a ‘BusyBody’, and knows about everyone’s business…… but ‘ Ouma Flo’    , would use this descriptively, as she taught me too.

 

To her , a “kochaleffel” was also an endearing term,  someone who keeps themselves extremely busy, knows everyone’s business – YES! - but what would the world be without them?... busy, busy , BUSY!

And So! …

A package arrives by foreign post to my most inconvenient  local Post Office – resulting in a frantic note in my mailbox demanding my ATTENTION!!!!... to collect a parcel at Claremont Post Office!

Now, please understand, that not only does one have to drive through major traffic  to reach said Post Office, but said Post Office is situated in the deepest depths of a maze of shops-and-passages-and-ramps-and-a-multiple-storeyed PAY-FOR parking garage…far, far from that uninviting entrance to that said Post Office - in the heart of traffic-stricken Claremont , and what a hassle for an impatient‘ no-nonsense cook’ , to reach it!

Why, oh WHY could they not heed my requests to relocate my zipcode!...just a couple of eenzy-wheenzy digits difference would make my suburban life much easier , if ONLY they would listen to me, the SA Postal Services….and deliver  ‘parcels foreign’, to tranquil, slothful KENILWORTH Post Office in it’s leafy Suburban street … KENILWORTH Post Office ,where doorstep-street-parking is always available; where an impatient‘ no-nonsense cook’ can hop out of the car and within 2 strides, enter the welcoming portico of dour faces, willing at a snail’s pace to help!

But no! , Claremont Post Office is the ‘preferred-receptacle-of-choice! ’ to receive unexpected gift from  ** “SisterAbroad” ** …Yes, a battery-operated tri-footed gyrating little monster… “As-seen-on-TV ”  - an automated pot stirrer!

Yes!   She  sent me my very own millennium-modern KOCHALEFFEL!

And how perfect a match that was to use in conjunction with Dear Val’s blowtorch – that most welcome birthday gift…Yes! 

’Mavis’s toys!

AND SO TO RECIPES…

 

     Tapioca Brûlée  

When last did you treat yourself to the divine textures of a warm tapioca pudding?

This recipe has that added *“oomfph”! *** – a delectable surprise to the palate, that crispy layer of hardened caramelized sugar, which , with the tap of the back of your spoon , will take you to astounding heights in textures and tastes, culminating in the soft round tapioca cushions!

 Remember… your ‘prep’ for this begins by soaking tapioca for 8 hours prior to cooking!

RAW TAPIOCA PEARLS

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup tapioca

4 cups warm water for soaking

Then you will need :

2 cups water to cook tapioca

½ cup sugar

3 ‘extra-large’/or ‘jumbo’ eggs

2 cups milk

2 teaspoon vanilla essence

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional – I prefer without)

And…

10 to 12 tablespoons sugar for the brûlée

METHOD:

1) Soak tapioca in 4 cups warm (not boiling) water for at least 8 hours

2) Drain

3) To cook the tapioca: In a pot, add 2 cups water with the drained tapioca, bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium heat, gently and slowly stirring constantly for 20 minutes, until the tapioca has become clear and transparent.

4) Remove pot from heat and set aside while you prepare the sugar/egg mixture…

5) Beat ½ cup sugar with 3 ‘jumbo’-size / ‘extra-large’ eggs, 2 cups milk and vanilla essence (and ground cinnamon as optional)

6) Add egg mixture to the tapioca, and gently mix

7) Spoon  into a lightly greased oven proof dish OR  use 10 to 12 individual-portion greased ramekins

8) Bake in a Bain Marie at 150 *C

*** for a large single pudding, bake at 150 *C for 90 minutes  

***** for individual ramekins, bake at 150 *C for 30 to 35 minutes – until still a bit wobbly in the centre. Remove from oven.

9) Leave to cool for a while, then remove from the Bain Marie.

Bain  Marie?   

 - a  ‘Bain Marie’  is a shallow water basin in which you place your filled dishes to bake – use an oven baking tray with enough water to reach ⅓ up the sides of the dish or ramekins.

A ‘Bain Marie’  is always used when baking egg&milk mixture desserts, to prevent a crust forming around the sides.

Lastly, for the  Brûlée :

  KITCHEN TOY -  BRULEE GUN

MOUTH-WATERING TAPIOCA BRULEE

Sprinkle 1 generous tablespoon of sugar over each baked ramekin, use kitchen blow torch (“brûlée gun”) to caramelize tops…

- or you can place all baked puddings closely under oven grill till sugar melts to caramel brown, forming a crisp sweet hard layer.

SERVE : warm or chilled!

".........'MAVIS's" TOYS & A SPOONFUL
 OF DELECTABLE TAPIOCA BRULEE

My newest KITCHEN TOY- 
gyrating 'kochaleffel'-
"as-seen-on-TV"

It's just a jump to the left...

...and a hop to the right...

And a swirl round and around...

...then a blurrrr and a whirl!

** *** Just wait till you see what’s-up NEXT  - you have a choice…ummmm?.....actually, no!

 I shall decide, and surrrrrpr-r-r-r-ise you!


Oh? - have you read my very, very 1^st blog ?... “ Preserved  Goose” ( “Confit  d’oie”). Mmmmmm…….

Or how ’Mavis  got her name, that's in blog# 9…“ Clora ”

–    see you next week….

 ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

STIRRING THE POT!

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh...              How to comment on My  blog…

5 easy steps to submitting your comments!

Submitting a comment has proven to be frustraITiNngly difficult on this “blogspot.com”   blog site…so what you should do if you would like to comment, is:

*  * At the bottom of my blog :

1) Click on “COMMENTS”,

2) A choice of option address sources will appear –

    Just choose the  “ANONYMOUS”  option, as this seems to be to the easiest way to get a comment through!

…...welcome to sign your name  on your comment too!

Then…

3) In the empty box write  your clever comments to ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

4) When done, click on “PREVIEW”  to check what you’ve written

5) Lastly, click on “SUBMIT”

This is then sent via  Google’s  nameless cyber channels into the cookingwithmavis@gmail.com  ‘inbox’,  for me to load!

And,   ….For your peace-of-mind :

Google’s behind-the-scenes statistics allow me only to see what countries, and how many “hits” viewed  ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ …and never  do I discover your email address! Pr-i-v-a-c-y  is  their  word!

So as usual - ‘til next week,

    ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’