Nettle Soup

This really is a delicious soup. It is obviously very inexpensive and was always prepared as a spring tonic. Nettles are high in vitamin C and iron.

Method

• Use gloves to gather young nettles.
• Wash the nettles and blanch with boiling water.
• Wash the spinach and add to the nettles.
• Pour the hot stock over the nettles and spinach in a saucepan.
• Season and simmer for three quarters of an hour, adding more stock if needed.
• Leave soup to cool and blend in blender.
• Mix the flour to a smooth paste with some cold milk.
• Add this to the soup and bring back to the boil, stirring all the time.
• Chop the sausages into small rounds and add to the soup.
• Swirl in the sour cream just before serving.

Prima Bruschetteria

It’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been to my home land for Christmas and New Years (while we’re experiencing in England the toughest winter in over 30 years, Brazil is ‘enjoying’ its hottest summer for over 7) but I’m back already. Loads to write about the joys of Brazilian food.

In the meantime, I just wanted to post a note on the latest hotspot of Rio: Prima Bruschetteria. It’s the new venture of our chefs (one of them being my beloved brother Erik), a bar dedicated just to the Italian delicacy which goes as well with the bohemian vibe of Rio as it goes with a nice cold beer. Hope the Italians approved it, the cariocas already are.

Some snapshots bellow (including a picture of Erik). Check more at their website.

Butternut Squash Soup with Balsamic Glazed Bacon

Sweat the onions in butter. Add the squash cut into chunks and the stock. Simmer until tender. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and blend. Return to the heat. Cut the bacon into strips and fry until crisp, add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Serve the soup topped with the bacon, some parmesan shavings, chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Chicken Rice Soup

Sweat the onion and garlic in oil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and lightly brown. Pour in the cold water, bring to a boil and simmer slowly until the meat falls of the bones, around 1h 30min. Pass the stock through a sieve and bring back to the heat. Meanwhile peel, chop and add the carrots to the stock. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred. Wash the rice until the water runs clear and add it to the boiling stock with the carrots. When the rice is cooked add the shredded chicken and the chopped parsley. Reheat the chicken and serve.

Mushroom Soup

Sweat the onions and mushrooms in butter. Season with salt, pepper and some chopped parsley. Cover and let cook for approx. 15 min. Sprinkle with the flour, mix and add the stock and milk, a little at a time. Simmer for a further 15 min. Add the cream, lemon juice and adjust the seasoning to taste. Sprinkle with more parsley and serve with bread.

Chicken and Lemon Tagine

Season the chicken with all the ground spices and let it stand for 2 hours. Heat some olive oil in a heavy pan and place the chicken, skin side down, in just one layer in the pan. Let the skin brown and turn the pieces over. Add the garlic, onions, preserved lemons, cinnamon, olives, water and sultanas. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat until the meat starts to fall of the bone. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Goulash

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Brown the onions in lard and add the beef and paprika. Lower the heat and let the beef simmer over a very low heat for around 1 h. Add the bay leaves, potatoes and water. Let it cook until the potatoes are soft and the beef is tender. If needed, add more water during cooking so that the sauce is rich but not too heavy. Serve with rice or pasta.

Asparagus Soup

Remove the white part of the asparagus stems and peel them leaving the heads intact. Cook in boiling salted water just until soft. Remove and dip them in iced water to stop them cooking. Cut the heads off, reserve, and chop the stems coarsely. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Cook the flour until the mixture looks creamy, then add the chicken stock, a little at a time, mixing constantly. Bring to the boil and let it cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend with the chopped asparagus stems. Season with salt and pepper. Pass the soup through a sieve and take it to the heat again, without letting it boil. Mix in the cream and the asparagus tips just to reheat them. Serve.

Broccoli Stilton Soup

Remove the stem from the broccoli and cook it in water until just soft. In other pan heat the double cream. Transfer the broccoli and cream to the blender and blend. Add a little of the broccoli cooking water, until the soup gets to the desired texture. Season with salt and pepper and take back to the heat. Break some stilton into the soup and mix until it melts completely. Serve hot and garnish with some more stilton crumbs.

Garlic Mushrooms

Remove mushroom stems and chop finely. Slowly sweat them with the butter, garlic and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. When the mixture is cooked, remove from the heat and add the parsley. Peel the mushrooms and place them in a greased baking tray bottom sides up. Fill them with the garlic-mushroom butter. Mix the cheese and the breadcrumbs and cover the mushrooms with the mixture. Bake for around 20 minutes in a 180C/350F oven, until the mushrooms are cooked and the crust is crisp and brown. Serve with salad.