I was gonna really French this thing up and make a spinach soufflé, but I wasn't feeling all that well last night so I opted for a less labor-intensive side dish. I'll post the picture in a matter of hours.
They say that the true culinary might of a chef lies in their soup. Why? Because making soup is the ultimate challenge of texture, viscosity, layering and depth of flavors, on-point seasoning and balance of ingredients. That being said, don't kick yourself if this isn't perfect the first time you make it.
Making note that there aren't any ingredients in here that weren't recently covered from a health standpoint, I'll jump right into the ingredients. This will make two servings:
3 oz. smoked wild salmon
1 shallot (finely minced)
2 cloves of garlic (also minced)
3 Tbsp. sweet butter
1 and a 1/2 unpacked Tbsp. of all purpose flour (unpacked meaning don't pack it down to measure it)
1 tsp. of dried dill
1 tsp. of dried thyme
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (throw away your pre-ground stuff and buy the real deal. The difference between fresh and not is the same as black pepper. Every béchamel you make for the rest of your life will thank you, I promise)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (this is here for depth and tingle, not burn)
About 1 cup of half and half
About 1 cup of chicken stock
10 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
1/2 lemon's zest and juice
To taste salt, fresh black pepper and whatever else you see fit
The measures for liquid are approximate because if you like a thinner bisque or a thicker bisque those are what you should adjust. Just like any sauce, don't season this soup with salt until you have reached your desired thickness. When I first began cooking, no one really let me in on this. It's much better to have a light touch with salt, as you can always add more.
Finally, let's cook!
Melt two Tbsp. of the sweet butter in a saucier or a large sauce pot and the remaining Tbsp. in a separate skillet, both over low heat. When they've melted, whisk the flour into the sauce pot gradually, you want a smooth paste. This paste you've just made (called a roux) can be cooked for varying periods of time depending on what it is being used to thicken. Since we're essentially making a béchamel, you'll want a light roux, so cook it for just a minute until it turns a pale golden color and no longer smells like raw flour. Add the shallot and cook it for a minute as well.
At this point, you'll want to gradually add your half and half, one splash at a time, whisking fervently to break up lumps. Let this heat through, then add a little more. Don't rush this part, you'll regret it. You can bump the heat up to a medium low at this point, the soup can very gently simmer, but don't let it boil.
You'll want to add chicken stock at this point to thin it out a bit. Add your lemon zest (save the juice for later) herbs and spices (save 1/8 tsp of the nutmeg for the spinach, crush the herbs up in your palm first to freshen up those essential oils), omitting salt. The salmon can go in now too, I minced mine pretty fine, but you can leave it in larger fishy morsels if you would like. Let that stuff simmer together and get acquainted while you work on the spinach.
Add the minced garlic to your skillet with the 1 Tbsp. of melted butter in it, cook for a minute or so. Then, add your thoroughly drained spinach and stir. Add a splash of half and half until desired creaminess is attained. Season with the 1/8 tsp. of reserved nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Taste the soup. It should need some salt. Add pinches (small, wimpy pinches) at a time, stirring well in between, and tasting after each pinch. Find the sweet spot, then leave it alone. Add the lemon juice just prior to serving.
Serve immediately! Creamy things like this don't bode well with downtime before consumption, just ask béchamel's cousin hollandaise.
Enjoy! Come back tomorrow a Cubano twist on the classic American burger.
They say that the true culinary might of a chef lies in their soup. Why? Because making soup is the ultimate challenge of texture, viscosity, layering and depth of flavors, on-point seasoning and balance of ingredients. That being said, don't kick yourself if this isn't perfect the first time you make it.
Making note that there aren't any ingredients in here that weren't recently covered from a health standpoint, I'll jump right into the ingredients. This will make two servings:
3 oz. smoked wild salmon
1 shallot (finely minced)
2 cloves of garlic (also minced)
3 Tbsp. sweet butter
1 and a 1/2 unpacked Tbsp. of all purpose flour (unpacked meaning don't pack it down to measure it)
1 tsp. of dried dill
1 tsp. of dried thyme
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (throw away your pre-ground stuff and buy the real deal. The difference between fresh and not is the same as black pepper. Every béchamel you make for the rest of your life will thank you, I promise)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (this is here for depth and tingle, not burn)
About 1 cup of half and half
About 1 cup of chicken stock
10 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
1/2 lemon's zest and juice
To taste salt, fresh black pepper and whatever else you see fit
The measures for liquid are approximate because if you like a thinner bisque or a thicker bisque those are what you should adjust. Just like any sauce, don't season this soup with salt until you have reached your desired thickness. When I first began cooking, no one really let me in on this. It's much better to have a light touch with salt, as you can always add more.
Finally, let's cook!
Melt two Tbsp. of the sweet butter in a saucier or a large sauce pot and the remaining Tbsp. in a separate skillet, both over low heat. When they've melted, whisk the flour into the sauce pot gradually, you want a smooth paste. This paste you've just made (called a roux) can be cooked for varying periods of time depending on what it is being used to thicken. Since we're essentially making a béchamel, you'll want a light roux, so cook it for just a minute until it turns a pale golden color and no longer smells like raw flour. Add the shallot and cook it for a minute as well.
At this point, you'll want to gradually add your half and half, one splash at a time, whisking fervently to break up lumps. Let this heat through, then add a little more. Don't rush this part, you'll regret it. You can bump the heat up to a medium low at this point, the soup can very gently simmer, but don't let it boil.
You'll want to add chicken stock at this point to thin it out a bit. Add your lemon zest (save the juice for later) herbs and spices (save 1/8 tsp of the nutmeg for the spinach, crush the herbs up in your palm first to freshen up those essential oils), omitting salt. The salmon can go in now too, I minced mine pretty fine, but you can leave it in larger fishy morsels if you would like. Let that stuff simmer together and get acquainted while you work on the spinach.
Add the minced garlic to your skillet with the 1 Tbsp. of melted butter in it, cook for a minute or so. Then, add your thoroughly drained spinach and stir. Add a splash of half and half until desired creaminess is attained. Season with the 1/8 tsp. of reserved nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Taste the soup. It should need some salt. Add pinches (small, wimpy pinches) at a time, stirring well in between, and tasting after each pinch. Find the sweet spot, then leave it alone. Add the lemon juice just prior to serving.
Serve immediately! Creamy things like this don't bode well with downtime before consumption, just ask béchamel's cousin hollandaise.
Enjoy! Come back tomorrow a Cubano twist on the classic American burger.
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