A broth soup is a brunoise of various kinds of vegetables cooked in a clear white mutton, chicken or game stock, with the addition of a cereal and a garnish of diced meat or poultry according to the type of broth. The type of stock used is indicated by the name of the broth being made, e.g. chicken broth is made with white chicken stock and mutton broth is made with white mutton stock. All vegetables for broth soups are cut brunoise, but may sometimes be a little larger. Any additional cereal garnish such as pearl barley or rice may be cooked separately and added to the broth at the completion stage. Some examples of broth soups are: Chicken Broth, Scotch Broth, Mutton Broth and Game Broth.
Makes: 2 liters. Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
— 2 1/2 liters white chicken stock
— 75 grams carrots
— 75 grams turnips
— 75 grams leek
— 75 grams celery
— 1 bouquet garni (bundle of herbs)
— 40 grams washed patna rice
— 150 grams chicken flesh, boiled and diced
— seasoning of salt and pepper
— chopped parsley
Method:
(1) Boil the stock, add the brunoise of vegetables, bouquet garni and seasoning.
(2) Gently simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the washed rice and skim as necessary.
(3) When all the vegetables and rice are cooked, remove the bouquet garni.
(4) Season to taste and correct the ratio of vegetables and cereal to stock; remove all traces of fat.
(5) Add the cooked chicken cut into small dice and remove any surface fat.
(6) Finish with the chopped parsley.
Note:
(1) The correct ratio of vegetables to stock should be one part vegetables to two parts liquid.
(2) If cereal is added to cook in the soup it must be blanched first.
Service:
Broths may be served in a soup tureen or soup plate.
Assessment of the completed dish
(1) The soup must be hot.
(2) The liquid should be clear.
(3) There should be a light but distinctive flavor of chicken.
(4) There should be the correct ratio of vegetables to liquid. (5) There should be no trace of surface fat.
(6) The soup should be sufficiently seasoned to bring out the full flavor of the ingredients.
(7) A standard portion should be approximately 2 dl per person.
Possible problems, causes and solutions:
(1) Soup liquid is cloudy:
— poor quality stock used; care must be taken in the preparation of the stock as this cannot later be rectified.
— soup has been allowed to boil rapidly; care must be taken to avoid this as it cannot be rectified later.
— soup not skimmed during cooking; care must be taken to follow the correct procedures during cooking as this cannot be rectified later.
— unblanched cereal added; care must be taken to avoid adding unblanched cereal as this cannot be rectified later.
(2) Broth is too thick and therefore cloudy:
— soup cooked too quickly causing a reduction in the cooking liquid; care must be taken to avoid this as it cannot be rectified later.
(3) Broth is dark:
— poor quality stock used; care must be taken in the preparation of the stock as this cannot be rectified later.
— soup not skimmed during cooking; care must be taken to follow the correct procedures during cooking as this cannot be rectified later.