Volume 9, Issue 94 - November 10, 2005

Hello Recipe Club Member,

The ingredient saffron is used in two of today's recipes. Saffron is considered the most precious and most expensive spice in the world. The Saffron filaments, or threads, are actually the dried stigmas of the saffron flower, "Crocus Sativus Linneaus". Each flower contains only three stigmas. These threads must be picked from each flower by hand, and more than 75,000 of these flowers are needed to produce just one pound of Saffron filaments, making it the world's most precious spice. But, because of saffron's strong coloring power and intense flavor, it can be used sparingly. Saffron is used both for its bright orange-yellow color and for its strong, intense flavor and aroma. Most of the world's saffron comes from Greece, Spain, Turkey, Iran, India, and Morocco.

TIPS: Saffron is very sensitive to light and moisture. Store it in a container away from sunlight. I store mine in a tin container. If stored properly, it will last for a very long time. Saffron absorbs other flavors and odors very easily. If you choose to transfer the saffron to a new container, make sure that the container is very clean and odor-free before using.

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Callaloo

Callaloo is the greens of the taro root. It is popular in the Caribbean, where it is cooked and eaten in much the same way as collard or turnip greens are in the Southeastern United States. It is also used to make a wonderful soup of the same name. Callaloo can be purchased at Caribbean markets, but if you cannot find it in your area, fresh spinach makes a fine substitute. Whatever greens you use, be sure to wash them thoroughly to remove any grit.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

5 ounces slab bacon, rind removed, cut into small dice
1/2 onion, minced (about 3/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 quarts chicken broth
1 pound fresh okra, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped taro greens (about 10 ounces)
1 scotch bonnet chile, pricked with a fork and left whole
4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped or 2 teaspoons dried
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 ounces crabmeat, picked over for shells
3 scallions, sliced
3/4 cup coconut milk
juice of 2 limes, or more to taste

Preparation:

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth, okra, greens, chile and thyme along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Just before serving, remove the chile and add the crabmeat, scallions, coconut milk and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls.

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Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soups

This 2-in-1 soup is beautiful to behold and tastes as good as it looks. It is impressive, yet ridiculously easy to prepare. If you would rather use freshly cooked black beans, start with 1 1/2 cups of dried beans. You can use the bean cooking liquid instead of water to prepare the bean soup.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash Soup:

1/2 tablespoon butter
1 onions, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 carrot, diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 small butternut squash, diced (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
salt to taste

Black Bean Soup:

1 dried chipotle chile, stemmed
3 cups drained canned black beans, well rinsed
1 cup water, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/4 teaspoon chopped dried epazote (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt to taste

Preparation:

Make the butternut squash soup:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook until the onions are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the squash and enough water to cover the vegetables by about 3 inches. Simmer, uncovered, until the squash and carrots are fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the honey, cinnamon and allspice and simmer 2 minutes longer. Remove the soup from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender until smooth. (Thin the soup with a little water if necessary.) Pour the soup back into saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Season to taste with salt. Reduce the heat to low and keep the soup hot until ready to serve.

Make the black bean soup:

Grind the chipotle chile into a powder in a spice grinder. Purée the ground chipotle, beans, water, oregano, epazote and cumin in a blender until smooth. Thin the soup with a little additional water if necessary. Bring the soup to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Season to taste with the salt. Reduce the heat to low and keep the soup hot until ready to serve.

To serve the soup, simultaneously ladle equal amounts of the soups side by side into heated soup bowls. Swirl the two soups together with a toothpick. Serve immediately.

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Amish-Style Chicken and Corn Soup

The Amish are famous for their use of herbs and spices. The saffron in this soup lends it a deep golden color as well as a subtle flavor. If you prefer, the soup can be prepared without the saffron, however.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 stewing hen or fowl, quartered
2 quarts chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
1 cup cooked egg noodles
3/4 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper taste

Preparation:

Combine the stewing hen with the broth, the chopped onions, carrots, celery and the saffron threads in a soup pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour, skimming the surface as necessary.

Remove the stewing hen from the broth. When cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones and cut into a neat dice.

Strain the saffron broth through a fine sieve.

Add the noodles, corn, finely diced celery and parsley to the broth. Return the soup to a simmer. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls.

Note: Stewing hens (or fowls) are the best choice for soups. They are more full-flavored than fryers or broilers, and you will end up with a soup that has a wonderfully rich flavor and body. You can use the entire bird to prepare a gallon of broth and then freeze the broth and cooked meat you won't need for this recipe separately, to be used as the basis for future soups. Just double the amount of water and chopped onion, carrot and celery. Omit the saffron.

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Billi Bi
(Cream of Mussel Soup)

There are several stories surrounding the origin of this suave French soup, the most popular being that a chef at the famed Maxim's of Paris named it after American tin tycoon William B. (Billy B.) Leeds, a regular customer and huge fan of this soup. Don't pull the beards from the mussels until you are ready to cook them, as this step kills the mussels. A mussel's shell should close if it is tapped on a counter. Any mussels that do not close or that are filled with mud (they will make a dull sound when tapped) should be discarded.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds mussels
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, minced
5 tablespoons flour
5 cups fish broth
Sachet: 5 to 6 parsley stems, 6 to 8 black peppercorns, 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 bay leaf enclosed in a large teaball or tied in a cheesecloth pouch
1 egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
salt to taste
freshly ground white pepper to taste

Preparation:

Pull the beards off the mussels. Scrub the mussels well under cold running water. Set aside.

Combine the shallots, wine and saffron threads in a pot large enough to hold the mussels. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the mussels, cover the pot tightly, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the mussels for 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally. Remove the mussels from the pot as their shells open. Separate the meat from the shells, refrigerate the meat and discard the shells. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve.

Heat the butter in a 3-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and stir to coat evenly. Cover the pot and cook the onion until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring almost constantly with a wooden spoon.

Gradually add the mussel cooking liquid and the fish broth, using a whisk to work out any lumps after each addition. Add the sachet and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming the surface as necessary.

Discard the sachet. Strain the soup through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Return the soup to the stove and bring to a simmer.

Make a liaison by blending the egg yolk with the cream in a bowl. Stir in about 1 cup of the hot soup, then stir the heated liaison mixture into the soup. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the mussel meat to the soup and simmer until the mussels are heated through. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and white pepper. Serve in heated bowls.