soups
Soup is a liquid food that is made by combining
ingredients such as meat and vegetables in stock or hot/boiling water, until
the flavour is extracted Soup is a liquid fluid consisting of meat, vegetables
, sea food cereals or poultry .They play an important role in menu and
are regarded as appetizers as they stimulate the appetite for the heavier foods
to follow .
SPECIAL POINTS FOR THE SERVICE AND PREPARATION OF THE SOUPS
1. First class, clean , strong and flavourful stock should be used ,as
it would help in producing good quality soup.
2.If there is a heavy entree ,the soup should be thin or light .
3.If a heavy soup is served ,the portion should be small
4. The soup should not in any ways be filling or consist of food particles
that require much chewing
5. Garnish should be small and dainty , so that they can be picked up
easily by a soup-spoon
6.Soup should be always moderately seasoned
7.Serve hot soups piping hot , and cold soups very cold
8. A little sugar should be added to tone the acidity of the soup,
before mixing cream as it prevents curdling
9.Consomme should be amber in colour .(Onions halved and browned on hot
plate are added to the soup for colour )
10. Accompaniments of the soups should be of a crisp character ,e.g,
Melba toast ,various crackers , bread –sticks ,cheese croutons ,bread rolls
,etc .
11. Entree portions of one litre of soup yields five portions.
Classification of soup:
There is no set standard for the classification of soups ,as there are
virtually thousands of soup preparations .In order to learn about them easily
,soups may be classified in the following manner .
THIN SOUPS : Most of the thin soups are clear ,
flavoured nutritious liquids and are prepared without the use of starch .The
soup is a thin liquid with garnish or with small ,daintily cut food items
floating in it .
Bouillon and broths are terms that are interchangeable and practically mean the same.
Bouillon comes from the word boil. It has a more pronounced strong meaty flavor and is clear soup with pieces of vegetables, meat, seafood etc floating in the soup.
Broth is a liquid in which bones, meat, cereal grains, or vegetables simmered and sometimes strained. They should be cut into regular shapes. Broths usually have cheaper cuts of meat used in preparation.
• scotch broth:- a thin soup made from beef or mutton with
vegetables and pearl barley.
• petit marmite:-made from beef, chicken, marrow bones and
various vegetables made and served in a small, covered earthenware casserole.
• potage fermiere:-vegetable broth made of leeks,potatoes,onion
and turnips.
THICK SOUPS: They are passed thick soups and in this category are purees , cream
,veloutes ,bisques and chowders.
PUREES :Starchy vegetables such as leguminous plants ,potatoes or cereals
when pureed in soups , usually act as self –thickeners and need no
further thickening ingredients .Many vegetables like carrots ,pumpkins ,turnips
peas, celery,leafy greens need an additional thickening agent as their own
purees do not cohere and so the above thickening agent as their added. The
cooked soup is strained through the sieve and thr consistency of the soup
thick.water or stock in which the pureed product was cooked is usually used as
the liquid in the soup .The soup is served with golden brown croutons(fried
small dices of bread).Common puree soups are –Puree parmentiere ,pea soup ,lentils puree ,tomato soup.
CREAM SOUPS : They are composed of a puree of vegetables ,fish ,poultry ,or
meat ,thickened with béchamel sauce or given a cream finish .Milk is used to
dilute and achieve correct consistency .Various cream soups are:Cream of Germaine(peas),cream of mushrooms
soup,cream of chicken soup,cream of lentil soup.
VELOUTES: Veloute sauces have already been discussed .Veloutes as soups are
similar to other veloutes ,but differ from purees ,as they require a thickening
element and a roux .Veloute is made by preparing roux and adding stock and the
pureed vegetable or meat or hot milk is blended in,to produce a smooth soup
.Generally proportions for a veloute soup are half basic veloute ,1/4 puree
(main ingredients characterising the soup ),1/4 stock or white consommé used to
dilute the mixture of puree and veloute to the correct consistency .Finishing
of the veloutes is done by a liaison ,i.e. cream and egg yolks as it enhances
the taste and texture .Examples of
veloutes are : chicken veloute ,celery veloute ,almond veloute ,etc.
BISQUES : These are shellfish puree soups ,thickened with rice or cream
.It is a slightly thick rice cream type of soup with small particles of cooked
shellfish floating in it ,to add flavour and colour .A small amount of wine is
added to enhance the flavour .Examples
of bisques are : Crayfish bisque , Lobster bisque .
CHOWDERS : Originated from America .They are thick heavy soups, owing their
consistency to potatoes .Chowders consist of potatoes ,onions,pieces od bacon
,various seasoning and sea food .They can be milk or tomato –based .Crackers
are generally added just before serving .Examples
are: Clam chowder , seafood
chowder , oyster
chowder ,etc.
COULIS - originally this term referred to the juices from cooked meats. It can
also be a thick puréed shellfish soup.
GUMBO: Is a heavily
seasoned soup or stew that combines several varieties of meat or seafood with a
sauce or gravy.
COLD SOUPS
Chilled soups include those that are
jellied by the natural gelatin in the meat stock or by the addition of gelatin
powder or those that are thickened with starch or puree .Cold consommé
Madrrilene is popular . Vichyssoise is a rich cream of potato soup , which is
served cold.
INTERNATIONAL SOUPS
There are many varieties –cold or hot
,thin or thick soups .They have been placed in a special category ,as they have
different origins .There are soups that originated in a certain locality and
are associated with that particular place.
SOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOUPS
NAME OF THE
SOUP
ORIGIN
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Minestrone
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Italy
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Green turtle soup
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England
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French onion soup
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France
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Petite marmite
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France
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Scotch broth and Cock-a-leekie
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Scotland
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creole
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New Orleans
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Mulligatawny
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India
|
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Bortsch Polonais
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Polland
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Olla – podrida and Gazpacho
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Spain
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Manhattan clam cowder
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America
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Hotch pot Flamanda
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Belgium
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Camaro
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Brazil
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Laberkroedel
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Germany
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Paprika
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Hungary
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Bouillabaise
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French
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CONSOMME :Comes from the word
‘ consummate’ ,which means to bring to completion or perfect . It is a strongly
b-flavoured ,clarifies soup.Its flavour is heightened by the adding of
meat,vegetables ,poultry,and seasonings.The foundation liquid used is rich ,of
cold beef ,mutton or chicken stock ,to which raw lean minced meat ,finely diced
or chopped carrots,turnips onions ,celery seasonings and egg white added and
mixed well .This mixture is placed on heat and allowed to come to boil and them
simmered .The protein in the egg and meat coagulates and binds in most of
the clouding materials .This coagulated mass ,rises slowly to the top and forms
a raft.When the consomme is clear and cooked ,the soip is strained ,through
several thicknesses of cloth .Consommes are varied and the soup gets its name
from the additional ingredients that are added to the consomme .Sometimes it is
named after historical figures ,people or events in the form of accompanying
garnish .
Consumers should be sparkling ,clear
and well flavoured and they are varied .They can be served hot and cold .
RECIPE OF CONSOMME(1 LITRE )
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Minced meat
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225 gm
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onions
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70 gm
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Carrots
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50 gm
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Turnips
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30 gm
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Stock
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1 ½ litres
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Egg Whites
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2
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Celery
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40 gm
|
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Thyme
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¼ tspn
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Bay Leaf
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1/2
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Peppercorn
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3
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Method : Mix minced
meat and chopped onions , carrots , turnips , celery and mix well with egg
whites .Add cold stock ,thymes ,bay leaf and peppercorns .Place on fire ,go on
stirring so that the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pan and
articles are suspended. When the mixture starts boiling ,lower the temperature
and let it simmer until the coagulated mass come to the top .Simmer for one and
a half hours.When consommé is clear and tasty ,strain through a double
muslin cloth.Add seasoning .
CONSOMME GARNISHES :
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Breton
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Julennes of celery ,onions and leeks
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Brunniose
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Small diced vegetables
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Dubarry
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Flowerettes of cauliflower
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Florentine
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Juliennes of blanched spinach
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Julienne
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Juliennes of cut vegetables
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Madrilene
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Tomato dices and green peas
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Paysanne
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Uniform size cut fresh vegetables
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Printaniere
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Mixed fresh spring vegetables ,cut in small dices
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St. Germain
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Fresh green peas
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Celestine
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Juliennes of pancakes
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Cereals
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Rice and barley
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Diablotin
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Diamonds of cheese biscuits
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Egg drops
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Pour into the boiling consommé ,beaten egg
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Royal
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Dices of savoury egg custard
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Taioca
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Pearls of tapioca
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Vermicelli
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Fine noodles
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