Jewish penicillin - Jiddishe Mama's chicken soup with noodles and matzo balls (kosher, gluten-free)

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Every Jewish mother has their own version of this chicken and noodle soup - the cure-all-ailments-wonder.

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As the long-awaited spring sun finally graced Scandinavia with its rays, we honestly thought the worst was behind us. Temperatures, soaring higher and higher each day lulled us into thinking we'd survived the most critical period without any casualties.

Summer was on its way and with it our happiness could continue as one endless stream of care-free summer days and picnics. 

Oh, how wrong we were.

Only a couple of days after our return from the Champagne cruise the dark clouds started to gather in the horizon. First my throat started acting out, though luckily proving to be a false alarm. But then... then all Hell broke loose. The worst possible scenario came true. My eyes are welling up even as I'm trying to write this. 

Man flu. 

The most fatal of diseases got the best of Gothenburger, a professional soldier; my mean, lean killing machine. Ruthlessly the contraction stripped him bare of his highly honed survival strategies, regressing him to a 3-year-old toddler. 

"Hurts. Feels bad. I think I'm dying."

We were facing a battle not many survive. Fortunately one of us was up for it and knew exactly which guns to bring out. The big ones. A.k.a. Jiddishe Mama's Jewish chicken soup.

This is a soup every Jiddishe Mama and Bubbe (that's Jewish mamas and grandmothers everywhere) has in their recipe arsenal. Also known as Jewish penicillin, generations and generations have come to know its prowess. This soup is proven to cure any ailments life throws one's way, from heartache to flu.

An article published in an American medical journal shows the soup's miraculous healing properties are not entirely without scientific foundation: something in the chicken soup controls the white cells and helps the body fight the infection.

(Can any teenager think of anything more depressing? That even science shows how mothers really know best?)

Perhaps it's the nutrients in the soup? Perhaps it's the warmth that helps alleviate congestion? The hydrating qualities?

Or perhaps it's the key ingredient of any cooking: love?

The Jewish chicken soup is rather well known outside Jewish kitchens as well and I have a feeling many of you, too, will have at least heard of the most exotic element: the matzo balls?

While matzo meal (or the sheets you can grind into meal yourself) might be difficult to come by (sold at least in kosher delis) you can substitute them with water crackers.

(The soup is good and comforting even without the matzo balls and helps its stay gluten-free, too.)

You can also omit the noodles - in that case just use more root veggies. 

Instead of noodles/ spaghetti you can use any kind of pasta you want - the toddler within each patient tends to find teddy bear-shaped pasta particularly healing...

Serves 4-6

Jiddishe Mama's chicken soup - Jewish chicken soup with noodles and matzo balls:

1 whole 2 kg chicken)

about 2,5 l water

2 large carrots (or 3-4 smaller ones)

2 large onions (or 3 smaller ones)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp whole black peppers

3 large garlic cloves (or 4-5 smaller ones)

3 bay leaves

the stalks of a parsley bunch

the stalks of a dill bunch

1 large carrots (or 2 smaller ones)

1/2 of a large leek (or 1 smaller one)

75 g spaghetti or noodles (gluten-free if needed)

remaining herbs

Pat the chicken dry and place in the largets pot you've got. Pour enough water into the pot to cover the chicken by about 10 cm. Bring to simmer.

Roughly chop the carrots and onions. Bruise the garlic with the back of the knife.

Cook the chicken for half an hour, skimming the foam and fat that forms on the top (save 3 tbsp of chicken fat, schmaltz, for the matzo balls).

Once the foam stops forming, add rest of the ingredients into the pot and simmer for further 1,5 hrs.

Transfer the chicken out of the pot and drain the stock through a mesh sieve. Check the taste and season with salt and pepper or chicken stock cube as needed. Prepare the matzo ball mixture at this point. 

To maximize the clarity of the soup, you can cool the stock and then skim the fat layer gathering on the top while the chicken cools. 

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, strip the skin and remove the meat from the bones. Shred the meat, cut the leek and carrots to match sticks and break the pasta into similar length pieces.

Return the stock into the pot and bring to simmer. Add matzo balls and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Then add pasta/ noodles and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Then add veggies and after another 5 minutes the chicken. Once the chicken's heated through, stir in the remaining herbs. In case too much stock has evaporated during cooking, replenish it with some chicken stock.

Matzo balls (depending on the size makes 20-25 balls):

3 eggs

3 tbsp chicken fat (or vegetable oil)

85 g matzo meal (or finely ground water crackers; gluten-free if needed)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 tl onion powder

1/2 tbsp finely chopped dill

1/2 tsp finely rated lemon zest

Blizz the matzo sheets or water crackers in a food processor until fine. Combine with rest of the dry ingredients. 

Lightly beat the eggs and add the fat.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and stir quickly. Cover and chill for half an hour (this helps shaping the balls).

Roll into small balls of about 2 cm (they double in size when cooked).

Cook in the soup as instructed above.

Another highly potent flu-repeller is also one of my all-time favourite recipes on the blog: my mango, chilli and ginger chicken. 

Are you guys familiar with Jewish chicken soup? Or do you have another trusty go-to-recipe when you're feeling under the weather?

___________________


ANYONE FOR SECONDS?


       

SHARING IS CARING!

Rabo de Toro - Andalusian oxtail in sherry (gluten-free, kosher)

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The warm earthy flavours of this oxtail recipe echoes the legacy of Andalusia's Arab conquerors with each spoonful.

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Oxtail, rabo de toro, is a Andalusian delicacy typical especially for Sevilla, though there this lump of meat is known as cola de toro. 

While I'm a passionate advocate of making most of each oart of the animal, I'd have to admit oxtail does not exactly charm with its glamorous appearance.

Much like pork cheeks though, these babies will handsomely reward those who dare to get over the initial apprehension. Oh, do they ever. 

Just forget them in the oven for a few hours (or overnight as is the case with these favourite recipe of mine) and dear me, what you'll get in return! Trust me - enough to reduce a grown man to tears.

My own niece and nephew are the fussiest eaters out there but my gorgeous god daughter Tiger never fails to restore my faith in humanity. 

The sight of this 3-year-old heroine grab oxtail with both of her hands and devouring every last piece of them... ahhhh. That's a thing of beauty!

Serves 4

Rabo de Toro – Andalusian oxtail in sherry:

1,2 kg oxtail, cut in 5 cm pieces

oil for frying

2 onions, finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp pimentón

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp tomato concentrate

3 dl sweet or medium sweet sherry (such as Valdespino Oloroso Blend)

1 l stock (game or meat)

1 dl almond flour

(salt), pepper

to serve: handful of tasted almond flakes, handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 150° (in a fan oven 130 will do).

Pat the meat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a couple of tbs of oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the meat in batches and transfer aside.

Sauté onion and garlic in the pot over meium heat until they're soft and the onion is translucent. 

Then add the spices and continue cooking for a couple of more minutes. Add tomato concentrate and sherry. Stir well, scraping in all the bits in the bottom of the pot, too. 

Return the oxtail into the pot and pour over the stock. Bring to boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for 4 hours.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the oxtails carefully out of the pot. Cover with foil to keep them warm. Drain the stock through a sieve. (Don't forget to scrape in the pulp on the bottom of the sieve and don't discard the onions either as they're packed with flavour). 

Skim the fat off the stock. 

Kitchen supply stores sell particular separator jugs for this, but another easy way of doing this is freezing it quickly (in the winter you can chill the liquid by placing the container into the snow - provided you live in equally unfortunately Arctic climate as I do...).

Add a couple of tbsp of oil into the pot along with the onions and almond flour. Cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat and then pour in the stock.

Reduce over high heat until the stock has reached the desired thickness. Return oxtails into the pot and heat until they're piping hot all the way through. Check the taste and season as needed.

Scatter toasted almond flakes and parsley on top and serve, for instance with boiled rice. 

This recipe is from my new book and based on the feedback I've been getting, it has swiftly become favourite among the readers, too. "Food of love for those you love" is how a blogger colleague of mine described it and I don't think I could think of a better review.

How about you guys? Oxtail - yay or nay?

PS. In case you're part of the yay camp (and I sure hope you are!), don't forget to check out my other oxtail recipes:

- oxtail in chocolate stout

- oxtail ragù cooked overnight

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How to cook with sherry

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Sherry is quite a multitalent in the kitchen, too - here are my tips on how to use it in cooking!

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Recently I've been taking you on a tour of Andalusian sherry bodegas and with any luck that has planted even just a tiniest seed of interest in this noble and oh, so misunderstood wine. 

Now it's time to have a look at all the things sherry can do in the kitchen!

Biologically aged Fino and Manzanilla are like any other wine - once opened, they don't tend to keep for very long.

You can, however, happily use them to substitute dry white wine in recipes - for instance in risottos or in the recipe for these chorizo meatballs. 

Amontillado and Oloroso on the other hand are aged through oxidation, which means once opened and in contact with air they still keep surprisingly well.

Oloroso is one of firm favourites of mine and has been featured on several of the blog's recipes. 

It is one of the ingredients that add decadence to this wonderfully springy Crème Ninon - the poshest pea soup there is. 

Oloroso can also be found in this recipe for baby octopus, cooked in tomato sauce which gets an extra oomph from fennel and pimentón...

... and in this recipe for mussels, echoing Spain with each spoonful.

PS. For this purpose you could use also Medium Dry Oloroso Blend!

Sherry is equally gracious partner for seafood as it is for meat.

Sweeter Oloroso Blend lends something extra to this glorious (yet surprisingly easy!) rustic country style pork terrine.

I'm telling you - this is guaranteed to impress your guests, so snap the recipe up for Easter (or any of the up and coming festivities)!

The nutty notes of Amontillado (or Oloroso) lend an Andalusian air to these lamb shanks. 

Oh, yes - another recipe to stash away for Easter...!

Medium sweet Oloroso is one of the tweaks that make these oxtails echo all my favourite Andalusian flavours.

Iberico pork is one of the most magnificent animals in the world and their cheeks are one of my favourite Andalusian delicacy. 

I've already shared with two recipes for making most of these cheeky treats: first with sherry and apple marinade...

...and then braised in sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry.

It might come as a bit of a surprise that the sweet sherries such as PX are Andalusians' go-to variety when it comes to braising meat - we've come to think of them as a dessert tipple.

Sure enough -this dark, syrupy nectar with notes of dried fruits is a glorious dessert all in itself. 

But drizzle some on top of good vanilla ice cream and tp it all off with some candied nuts... Dios Mio - now there's a treat!

Does sherry often make an appearance in your kitchen? Or do you prefer it in your glass?

PS. For more ideas on how to pair sherry with food, check out my earlier blog post!

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Carrilleras de cerdo en Pedro Ximénez - Iberico pork sheeks braised in Pedro Ximénez sherry (gluten-free)

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Iberico pork cheeks braised in Pedro Ximénez sherry take a little time but they are a delicacy that will melt in your mouth!

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This recipe is from my new book. 

Sure, it is so very yummydeliciously übergood, too, but it became one of my favourites because it was one of the recipes we tried, tested, styled, shot and devoured together with my beloved Gothenburger.

This gives him a legitimate claim to fame and reason to brag about his contribution to the book - not only has he been giving his opinion on the recipe, he's also been holding the styling props (and listening to the endless stream of profanities sprouting out of the author, frustrated with the ever-changing light and swiftly approaching deadlines...)

Andalusia has traditionally been one of EU's poorest regions, which reflects on its cuinary traditions, too. Every single part of the animal is used; also the not-so-appealing ones.

Iberico pork cheeks aren't much to look at and they do take a little time, but trust me - they're quite possibly the best part of the whole pig.

Perhaps a little surprisingly the sherries most often used for braising meat are the dulces; sweet sherries such as Pedro Ximénez. Firts time I encountered this dish at one of my favourite tapas bars and boy, it was love from the first time.

Such a cheeky treat!

Serves 4-6 as a main, up to 10 as tapas

Carrilleras de cerdo en Pedro Ximénez - Iberico pork cheeks braised in Pedro
Ximénez sherry:

12 (Iberico) pork cheeks (total weight 1,2 - 1,6 kg)

2 celerys, finely diced

1 large carrot (or 2 medium ones), finely diced

1 large onion (or 2 small ones), finely diced

1 whole head of garlic, cut in half

5 dl stock

5 dl Pedro Ximénez sherry (or Cream sherry, like one from Valdespino)

salt, pepper

For frying: oil

Pre-heat the oven to 150°c.

Trim the pork cheeks from excess membranes if needed. Pat them dry and season. Sear in a pot in a couple of tbsp of oil in batches and transfer aside.

Add more oil into the pot and sauté the finely diced celery, carrot and onion until soft. Then add the garlic the cut side down and continue cooking for a couple of more minutes.

Add pork cheeks, sherry and stock. Bring to boil and transfer to the oven. Cook, covered, for 4,5 hours.

Using a slotted spoon lift the pork cheeks out of the pot. Cover with foil to keep them warm. Squeeze the liquid in the pot through a sieve (don't forget to scrape in the mash underneath the sieve!).

Skim off the fat on top.

Kitchen supply stores sell particular separator jugs for this, but another easy way of doing this is freezing it quickly (in the winter you can chill the liquid by placing the container into the snow - provided you live in equally unfortunately Arctic climate as I do...).

As a result of freezing the fat forms a clear layer on top of the stock, making it weasy to spot and skim.

Return the stock into the pot and reduce, over high heat, for about 10 minutes until it's reached a desired thickness. Add pork cheeks into the pot and continue cooking until they are piping hot all the way through.

Check the taste and season as needed.

Cut to pieces and serve as tapas or serve as a main with boiled rice or mashed potatos.

For my favourite mash; one that will make you cry, check the recipe on the blog over here.

How about you guys? Tried and fallen for pork cheeks yet?

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Bacon and whisky marmalade - best of both worlds

They say (who are they, anyway? What do they know?) old dogs don't learn new tricks. hah, say I. Last weekend alone I learn a bunch of stuff. Like the fact that

- my phone has an operating system
- operating systems require updates
- I'm not cut out to even update my hairstyle
- cooking in demo kitchens in front of total strangers is soooo much fun
- professionals do that leaving behing soooooo much less mess than us bloggers...
- bacon well and truly makes everything better (can I get an amen?)

And while bacon making everything better is already a bit of a universally acknowledged fact, when you add whisky... Enough to reduce a grown man into tears. 

Last weekend I did two demo kitchens. At the first one I made shakshuka (and  I can only imagine, a total ass out of myself) and on Sunday I was at an organic food fair promoting a wicked artisan cheese (yes, cheese. My old nemesis.) To go with the grilled cheese I made , I cooked this condiment. I wasn't sure what to expect but the feedback I got from the crowd (yes, there was one. And it wasn't even roped in by Dad, my #1 fan) was that the recipe needs to go on the blog ASAP. So, dears, here it is. 

This portion was enough for about 60 sample portions and makes about 7 dl of marmalade. In an air tight container it keeps in the fridge for about 4 weeks (bet your sweet ass it won't!) but sure, you can go ahead and halve it for smaller needs (you'll regret it, though), in which case it takes less time, too. 

Bacon, whisky and onion marmalade:

850 g bacon, cut to 1/2 cm strips 

6 largeish onions (total weight 1,4 kg), peeled and chopped into 1/3 inch cubes

2 dl brown sugar

0,5 dl (maple) syrup

6 tbsp (0,75 dl)  whisky (can be omitted or substituted with cognac)

1,25 dl cider vinegar

3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

(salt, black pepper)

Roast bacon strips on a dry pan or in a big coated pot in a couple of batches over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the colour is dark but they haven't quite gotten crisp yet and are still chewy. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the pan and drain over kitchen towel. Pour out the rendered bacon fat, reserving 3 tbsp. 

Sauté the onions in bacon fat, stirring every now and then until it's soft, golden and starts caramelizing - depending on the size of your marmalade batch this takes 20-50 minutes. Add sugar and increase the heat a bit. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, add the remaining ingredients (save the salt and pepper).

Let simmer over low heat until liquid has evaporated and mixture has thickened to the consistency of marmalade (depending on the size of your batch 20-60 minutes) - as it cools it sets even more. 

Check the taste and season as needed. Let come to room temperature before spooning it into jars. 

Great accompaniment with cheeses (yes, cheese!), on bread... or wolfed down straight out of the jar (what do you think I'm doing at this very moment?). 

I served with grilled cheese. Take two slices of good bread (such as this no knead bread) , scatter generous amount of grated cheddar on one of them, sprinkle some fresh thyme on top and press the other half on top of it. Fry over medium heat in butter on both sides until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden and crunchy.

Store the marmalade in fridge, but take into room temperature about half an hour before (or blast it in the microwave for a couple of seconds) to allow it to soften. 

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