Disaster Soup!

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Disaster Soup!
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Barefoot Andrew
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Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 11:45 am Post subject: Disaster Soup!

Well I made chicken & leek "soup" last night.

Oh deary me

The recipe was essentially as thus: add onion, celery, the non-breast bits of the chicken and herbs to a pan, cover with water, bring to boil then simmer for 1.5 hours or so.

Remove chicken, then sautï¿½ some leeks, then add the leek, plus diced spuds, to the stock and cook for about 20 mins. Remove cooked chicken from bones, meanwhile cut breasts into pieces and gently fry.

Finally, bang the whole lot in the food processor.

Oh deary me

Well if it didn't look like gruel I don't know what does. It tasted like watery potatoes, and the only sense of chicken was its fibrous-like texture. It was frankly a complete disaster, bordering on unpleasant.

The recipe was to serve 8. I scaled this down, but didn't do it with sufficient precision I think, and the relative quantities of chicken, spud and liquid became totally imbalanced. Oh well.

I managed some, I was fair peckish, but it's not a gastronomic delight and I have a large pan of it left... Question is, can I do anything with to rescue it? It'd be a wicked waste to bin it, but life's too short to suffer at the dining table.
A.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 12:00 pm Post subject:
Can you just simmer it to reduce it and then add some chopped veg and perhaps noodles to make chicken noodle soup? It's bringing back painful memories of my Carrot Soup Fiasco if it's any consolation.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 12:00 pm Post subject:
How about freezing it in portions, to add to other soups or stews later? Or you could finely chop some more leeks and onions and celery and fry with black pepper, and add the other soup (this time not processing it) to redress the potatoey balance?

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 12:06 pm Post subject:
Spice it up with some chilies or add some Tabasco sauce when serving.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 12:37 pm Post subject:
Fry up a big heap of chopped sundry veg. Mash 0r blend them. Then start adding your disaster, tasting repeatedly, until it's of a desirable flavour/texture. Well, that's what I'd do.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18416

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 12:41 pm Post subject:
More onions (at least 1lb) and leeks if you have any left. Possibly 1lb carrots too. Sweat all these veg, liquidise all or some of them with 1/2 pint water per 1lb extra veg, and add to your existing soup. Should provide flavour and thin it down a bit.

nats

Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 2374
Location: Swindon but not a Swindonian

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 12:45 pm Post subject:
I'd go with the freeze and add to other soups/stews in the future option.

sally_in_wales
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Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 1:05 pm Post subject:
what about considering it a thick stock and using it to base a rice dish or a curry with?

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 1:29 pm Post subject:
I'd probably use it as a basis for another soup too, but if you've been totally turned off, perhaps turn it into a potato bake or somthing with sliced potatoes and fried onions and the saviour of most disasters...a big hunk of grated cheddar and pepper over the top I've had some disastrous soups in my time too, but tend to just add a dash or five of hot chilli sauce

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 1:35 pm Post subject:
base for a risotto?

Barefoot Andrew
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 2:01 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

It's bringing back painful memories of my Carrot Soup Fiasco if it's any consolation.

Chez wrote:

and about three gallons of the most VILE carrot soup I have ever tasted.

I feel your pain.

Ta to all for the suggestions.
A.

oliveoyl

Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 425

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 2:31 pm Post subject:
A chicken stock cube or two would have made a big difference, and a slug of double cream in the blender at the end.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 3:27 pm Post subject:
Does anyone else have issues with blended soups I love broths and noodle soups can't stand blended soups if they taste good or not. The only way I can eat them is with vast quanities of bread

Iggle Piggle

Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Posts: 55
Location: Edinburgh

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 09 10:32 pm Post subject:
My brother is a chef and he has a 4 step rule for saving soups :- Salt Cream White Pepper Dried Chilli It sometimes works !

gnome

Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 730

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 09 1:37 pm Post subject:

sounds like it's overcooked to me. i did the exact same thing last year - and it was a flavourless pulp. best thing is to use it to bulk out or thicken a stew or something. next time, just simmer the non breast parts of the chicken long enough to loosen the meat from the bones and seperate, everything else - lightly fry or saute in butter, then add to the stock and gently heat. i wonder if the blender sometimes beats the flavour out of food - it just doesnt taste the same.

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