Cats, Sheep, & Penguins

I like thick, hearty soups to the extent that I don’t often make a proper stew; in the interest of full disclosure I’ve begun referring to these soup-stew concoctions as “stoup”. Knowing I have plenty of chicken and an open bottle of red wine, I decided to experiment with a cider & red wine chicken broth, only to discover, as I was heating the broth, that we are out of cider. Undismayed and too hungry to go shopping, I decided to improvise. Sharp readers will note that this was not a significant change from the original plan.

I decided to add barley, one of my favorite stoup ingredients, so I doubled the chicken broth from two to four cups; to this I added one 12oz bottle of lager beer, although next time I will likely add more beer or start with a bit less broth. With the mixture was reducing, I set aside a half cup each of barley and dried shiitake mushrooms.

In my indestructible skillet I sautéed chopped onion, sliced baby bella mushrooms, first in olive oil, then with a healthy splash of red wine; when the wine was mostly evaporated I added about a pound of chopped chicken cutlets.

When the chicken was evenly browned and the stock reduced to about four cups, I added mixed everything into the soup pot, covered, and simmered for about 45 minutes. The result is a hearty mushroom & barley chicken stoup, with a hint of hops and red wine flavors that add savory richness to an earthy body.

After an unseasonably warm and humid beginning, the Autumn cold has finally arrived; last night we lit the first fire of the season in our hearth. It finally feels right to think about apple picking, pumpkin carving, hot chocolate and mulled wine. The beginning of Autumn also heralds an onslaught of savory cold weather delights; nothing fights the chill like a hearty soup, stew, or pie. This is one of our favorite recipes, and the perfect time of year to cook it.

More than one person has balked at the thought of mixing chicken stock with apple cider, but I have yet to receive any complaints from any who have tasted it. I begin with one quart of each, add some white wine, seasonal spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom), and reduce this to two cups. The result is an unbelievable, mouth-watering, autumnal gravy which does a superb job of blending ingredients.

Setting aside the sauce, I sautéed onion, carrot, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and turkey bacon in olive oil until the veggies were mushy. Tossing that aside, I used the same pan to brown a pound of floured turkey cubes, then added the veggies, and finally the sauce. The extra flour from the turkey mixes with the cider-broth and makes a nice thick gravy. Once the filling cooled a bit, I wrapped it in a pie shell and baked until golden brown (45@350˚).

This is one of those dishes that tastes great just out of the oven, but only gets better as the flavors blend together over time. The leftovers won’t make it past Tuesday.