What do these foods have in common?

1. What do these foods have in common? Peppery shrimp gumbo served at a restaurant Homemade chicken gravy Tomato soup ladled out into a bowl at school

2. Each one – stew, sauce, and a soup • Starts from one basic formula: a liquid plus something to thicken it. • Differences? From the amount of one ingredient to another. • Your choice of liquid depends on the other ingredients.

3. Broth • Also called stock, bouillon, or consommé • Is a flavorful liquid • Pumpkin soup may start with chicken broth, a tomato soup maybe a tomato juice, a chowder a fish broth. • Making your own broth

4. What do I do? • A broth is a worthy end for food scraps • Simmers for several hours. • Add water – replace what evaporates • After it is done, the broth is strained and those ingredients discarded • Bacteria – chill quickly • This will cause fat to set. Use in four days or freeze.

5. But I don’t have time to make the broth! • That’s okay there are some convenient forms. • Canned, ready to use • Reduced sodium • Fat free • Vegetarian

6. Bouillon. • Convenience broths may be flavored with animal fat and dehydrated meat, poultry, or vegetables. • Salt. • We have in class the paste type that is called a base.

7. Thickening • One thickening method - Reduction • This method concentrates the flavor • Season after reducing • Using a starchy or protein food. • Flour is a thickening • Cornstarch –Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour.

8. How do I do it? • Do not add either of these directly to hot liquid • Why – forms lumps • Mix starch with cold water before adding it to the liquid • One part starch to two parts liquid in a jar or small bowl

9. How much starch do I need? • Thin 1 T flour 1 ½ t cornstarch • Medium 2 T flour 1 T cornstarch • Thick 3 T flour 1 ½ T cornstarch • Medium thickness is enough to coat the back of the spoon. • Mix the amount of starch with twice as much cold water.

10. Next slowly pour and stir • Simmer over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly • Flour – not simmer – raw flour taste. • Prolonged cooking or over stirring - can become runny

11. Making a Roux • Mixture of flour and fat. • Equal amount of flour and fat • Used to thicken liquids • Fat can be butter, margarine or fat drippings from cooked foods • Ratio 2:2:1

12. How to do it • Measure fat – melt to liquefy • Stir in flour – form smooth paste • Cook and stir roux until bubbles about 2 min • Can cook more but lessens thickening power. • Can refrigerate or freeze uncooked roux

13. What is a soup - • There are three basic types • 1st Clear soup – bouillon, consommé, broth • 2nd Cream Soup – has vegetables, seasonings, broth. Almost any vegetable can be used as a base.

14. If you use a starchy food like potatoes, you don’t need to thicken it if you puree it. • Bisque is a cream soup made from shellfish. • 3rd Hearty or Chunky Soup – have chunks of vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, pasta • Examples – minestrone, beef vegetable

15. Other Soups • Fruit Soup – served hot or cold • Fruits are pureed, flavored, thickened with cornstarch, gelatin, buttermilk, or yogurt. • Cold Soup – Cold vegetable soups as well as fruit. Vichyssoise – pureed cooked leeks and potatoes in heavy cream garnish with chives. French • Gazpacho –dry bread, soaked and then pureed with fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, celery, cucumbers, olive oil, and vinegar. Spain

16. Making Soup • Start with aromatic vegetables • Add aroma and flavor when sautéed. • Add three or four other vegetables. • Add at different times • Season and simmer until all ingredients are tender

17. Remember • Thicken if needed • Taste and adjust seasonings before serving • Garnish to enhance

18. Stew • Any dish prepared by stewing or simmering small pieces of food in tightly covered pan • Most include vegetables, meat, poultry, or fish • Less liquid that soup • Other names – ragout (thick meaty highly seasoned) or fricassee (chicken stew)

19. Making a Stew • Cut meat 1 to 2 inch cubes • Dredge meat in flour and brown • Drain excess fat off • Sauté aromatic vegetables • Return meat to pan, add seasonings and liquid to cover. Simmer till done - beef can take 2 -3 hours

20. Sauces • Historically – used to cover taste of food going bad • French elevated sauce – “the sauce is everything” • Today – flavored liquid often thickened served to enhance the flavor of another food. • Broad definition – catsup to elegant

21. Types • Hollandaise – • Basic White Sauce • Stock based sauce – • Tomato based sauce – • Oil and Vinegar Sauce –These include Sweet and Sour and Marinades

22. Now you know • So what is next • Chose one of them and find the recipe. • Have fun – be adventurous and try something new!