The other day, I went to an event at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival that Alex Guarnaschelli was hosting.
I didn’t see her, but we were still there. Together…in spirit.
{Yes, I did drag my friends up and down the length of a very large white tent on the sand more times than I’d like to admit in an unsuccessful effort to find her}
You may also recall that I referenced her during a recent Q&A hosted by the lovely Lisa of a dinner party. You know, the one where I was asked who I’d invite over for dinner if I could ask anyone in the world, living or dead.
{It’s worth mentioning that Lisa featured Joy the Baker for her next Q&A. Me and Joy, doing the same interviews…NBD}
I’ve stalked out two dishes from South Florida restaurants Alex has referenced on the show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” I didn’t feel weird about it. At all. I was way too excited, in fact, to know that I was sitting in the same restaurants Alex had been at, ordering the same dishes.
Then, I learned that back in the day, Alex’s own mother used to edit cookbooks for the company I’m now working for. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.
I suppose it’s pretty clear that I’m a huge fan of this woman. I don’t know what it is about her, but everything she talks about, I want to cook.
And eat, of course. I follow her on Twitter, where she makes things as simple as yogurt sound downright mouthwatering: ”Yogurt with little green grapes, golden raisins plumped in apple cider and warm granola with almonds, pepitas and a dust of cinnamon on top” (that was a real tweet from her this morning).
When I watched the episode of her show “Alex’s Day Off” that featured this soup, I was immediately sold. It seemed like quite a strange idea, with all of the different components, but Alex has that power to make it all make sense. It seemed home-y, comforting, and undeniably interesting. Let me just break down for you what this soup is really about: It’s a homemade chicken soup with bone marrow, veal meatballs – these little guys are bursting with garlic and fresh basil flavor, eggs, loads of fresh spinach, and salty Parmesan. The goat cheese toasts makes it a “soup & sandwich” type of deal, which is always a welcomed approach – but the real beauty lies in the way that the tangy goat cheese marries so well with the veal and all of the other flavors in the soup.
And the bone marrow? I’d never cooked with it before, let alone tasted it – and yes, of course I was curious. It added a depth of flavor to the soup that was incredible, though I wasn’t quite sure about eating the large chunks of it in the soup. It has a strange texture, so if you’re worried about it, you can omit the step of adding it back into the soup after scooping it from the bones.
With a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc, this is absolutely a Sunday sort of meal. Which, for me, is often the best kind.
Chicken Soup with Veal Meatballs + Goat Cheese Toasts
Soup:
- 1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken
- Kosher salt
- 4 quarts water
- 2 pounds beef bones (bone marrow)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
- 1 onion, sliced
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme, tied with string
- 2 bay leaves
Meatballs:
- 1/2 pound ground veal
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- Few basil leaves, snipped
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (toasted if using fresh)
For Serving:
- 3 eggs, very lightly beaten
- 3 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Goat Cheese Toasts:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- A few sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 loaf Italian bread or baguette, sliced into 16 rounds
- Kosher salt
- 16 ounces fresh, tangy goat cheese, preferably in log form, sliced into 16 rounds
- Flaked sea salt
Meanwhile, season the beef bones with salt and brown them in a cast iron pan with the canola oil, searing them over medium heat. Add them to the pot with the chicken. To the pan that the bones were seared in, over medium heat, add the carrots, celery and onion and toss until they are coated in oil. Add the thyme and bay leaves to the stock pot along with the sautéed vegetables. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and skim the surface with a ladle. Discard any oil or “scum” that accumulates. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and lower the heat to finish cooking the chicken slowly.
Make the meatballs: Put the ground veal into a medium bowl. Add the salt, garlic, Parmesan, basil, egg, and bread crumbs. Use your hands to mix to blend the ingredients. Roll a small meatball and cook a “tester” ladled into the soup, if desired. Taste and reseason the meat mixture, if needed. Roll the rest of the veal into small meatballs. They should be about the size of a small cherry tomato. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
After about 45 minutes at a gentle simmer, taste the chicken soup and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Use a large spoon and a pair of tongs to remove the chicken to a baking sheet or other flat surface and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Remove the beef bones and scoop out the marrow. Add it to the soup, if desired. Remove and discard the fresh thyme and bay leaves. Take the breast and thigh meat off the chicken, taking care to discard the bones and skin. Break the chicken into bite-size pieces, but not too small, and add them to the soup.
Make the goat cheese toasts: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat and add the thyme leaves. The thyme should make a crackling sound as it hits the oil, cooking it slightly and mellowing the flavor. Add the bread in a single layer. Turn the heat back on and cook over medium heat until the first side browns, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to turn the toasts on their second side and season with kosher salt. Top each round with a slice of cheese and continue cooking them over very low heat or off the heat, an additional 1 to 2 minutes. The cheese shouldn’t melt too much – it should stay relatively firm. Adjust the seasonings with sea salt, to taste.
Meanwhile, bring the soup to a gentle simmer and add the meatballs. Allow it to continue simmering for a couple of minutes so the meatballs have a chance to cook. Drizzle in the eggs and continue to mix as they cook. They should look like little threads in the soup. Stir in the spinach and taste for seasoning. Transfer the soup to serving bowls and serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.
Note: Recipe adapted only slightly from Alex Guarnaschelli.
“On another note, I’m nominated for Best Recipe Blog on The Homies 2012! It’s an honor to be featured alongside so many fabulous and talented bloggers. Head over and vote for your favorites (you can vote for more than one!) and get ready to discover some new faves, too!” xxSAS
