Ingredients
1 chicken, quartered
1 salt & pepper, to taste
2 tbsp butter
3 leeks, w/ 1 green, sliced
2 granny smith apples, peeled
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup vinegar
3 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp calvados
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt the butter over medium
heat in a saute pan just large enough to hold the chicken. Add the
chicken, skin side down, and cook for about eight minutes over medium
heat. If the butter in the pan starts to brown, lower the heat
slightly. Turn the chicken and light saute in the same way for five
minutes more.
Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in a bowl. If the butter
in the saute pan has burned, pour it out and replace it with two
tablespoons fresh butter. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes
over medium heat. Stir the leeks every couple of minutes. They should
be soft but not brown.
Put the chicken back in the pan with the leeks. Add the apples, apple
juice, vinegar and broth. Bring the liquids to a slow simmer and
with a ladle skim off any fat or froth that floats to the top. Cover
the pot and simmer the chicken very gently for 10 to 15 minutes,
until it is completely cooked.
Remove the chicken and let it cool. Remove and discard the skin and
pull the meat away from the bones. Cut the meat into half inch chunks.
Use a ladle to skim off any fat that has formed on the surface of the
liquid in a saute pan. Add the Calvados and the heavy cream. Bring
to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat the chunks
of chicken in the soup for two minutes and serve immediately in hot
bowls.
Suggestions and variations: Try adding a cup of sliced mushrooms
along with the apples. The mushroom flavor goes well with the other
ingredients, and the mushrooms make the soup more substantial. This
soup is also delicious with curry, which can be added by gently
cooking a tablespoon of curry powder in a tablespoon of butter and
stirring it into the soup shortly before serving.
Servings: 6 servings
Chicken Soup With Apples & Leeks Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Chicken; Chicken Soup; Fruit; Poultry; Soup
The History of Recipes
We are able to follow the history of meal recipes far back into the distant past, at least as far into history as the ancient Egyptians, and possibly even further. Interesting though that is, sadly, these early cookbooks were just very basic pictorial recipes for preparing food.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to Professor Solomon Katz, are a few clay tablets in ancient Sumerian which recount the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel exhilarated. Later on, in The time of the roman empire around 25BC a roman called Apicius created a few scripts detailing recipes cooked by the Romans. He recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were separated into hors d`oeuvres, main course and desserts, something we still use today. Aspicius also tells us how the ancient Romans were skilled in the use of many different herbs and spices, including a few you will know for example thyme, fennel and parsley. Later, in the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought us many spices and herbs from Arab cuisine, including spices such as coriander, parsley, basil and rosemary. These new foods and tastes caused an increase in books on cooking, most of which are now in private libraries. During the following few hundred years, the families of Europe competed to offer the most exotic banquets, and because of this chefs and their collection of recipes were highly sought after. However, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century that fine cooking and recipe books rose to prominence. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the USA, devoted much of their lives to collating, verifying, and writing down recipes of the day. By the time we get to the 1900s, cookbooks were in great demand, mostly due to higher levels of literacy, increased leisure time and being a little richer. |
We hope you enjoy this Chicken Soup With Apples & Leeks recipe.
