Review Fri Nov 09 2007

Simply Delicious

Not too long ago, I scored a copy of Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food to add to my small collection of cookbooks. The pages are understated, adorned with sketches of vegetables, herbs and meat. The recipes seem basic at first glance; Waters gives instructions on grilling vegetables and preparing a chicken broth. But with recipes such as Pork Shoulder Braised with Dried Chiles and Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad, Waters asserts that simple food does not mean bland food.

The recipe for Tortilla Soup is after the jump.

Tortilla Soup
(Makes 2 quarts; 4-6 servings)

Heat to a simmer:
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth

Add:
1 chicken breast half (w/skin and bones for best flavor)

Cook at a bare simmer until the chicken is done, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, transfer the breast to a plate, and let cool. Remove and discard the skin and bones and shred the meat. To shred, use a fork and "rake" the chicken.

Into an 8-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, pour:
1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil

Then add:
4 corn tortillas, cut into 1//2-inch strips

Fry in small batches until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

In a large, heavy pot heat:
2 T olive oil

Add:
1 Anaheim green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt

Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in the hot broth, then add:
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced; or 3 small canned whole tomatoes, diced (juice included)
1 dried chipotle chile, seeds removed
Salt

Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. This is when I'd do the tortilla strip frying. You have 30 minutes to kill, and frying the tortillas will take about 10-15. Then, prepare the garnishes. Chop some cilantro, grate some Jack cheese, slice a lime into wedges, and cube an avocado. Once that is done, you might even have time to clean up the extra dishes before the soup is ready.

Add the shredded chicken meat and heat through, but do not boil. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.

Serve hot.

— Meghan Murphy Gill / Comments (0)