The other day I cleaned off my desk and came across a stack of Isabel’s Kitchen columns I had cut out from the paper. I wasn’t in a hurry so I took the time to read a few. My hair stood straight up when I read “The Art of Chicken Soup” and realized I forgot to mention the most important ingredient. Oh no! I felt a gamut of emotions, from annoyance to worry. How could I possibly have forgotten this and misled my readers? I mentioned my conundrum to Randal and he suggested I write a column with the correction.
Many versions of the same recipe flood the internet and each has a subtle variation. Occasionally one recipe will stand out because it calls for the addition of an unusual ingredient that kicks up the flavors a notch. Often this magic ingredient is a potent and highly concentrated flavoring that can transform ordinary staples into wildly flavorful meals. Then those humble ingredients can then become spectacular dishes dressed to the nines. I call these special ingredients “flavor bursts” because they deliver explosive taste. I always feel so smug and accomplished when I take an ordinary recipe and level it up and then the recipe goes from good to great.
Flavor bursts include things like gourmet vinegars, sharp cheeses, chutneys, jellies and jams, mushroom, tomato and blue cheese powders, syrups, crunchy salts, infused oils, crystallized ginger and mustards and so on. For example, I was thrilled when I discovered the addition of malted milk powder to waffles adds a lovely layer of richness.
The fact that I left out the magic ingredient in the chicken soup haunted me. Are you curious to know what I forgot? The answer is – drum roll – a packet of Knorr Vegetable Recipe mix. To refresh your memory: the column was about how to make chicken soup from a whole chicken. I poach the chicken in my crockpot, remove the meat, put the bones and skin back in and concentrate the broth, then proceed to make a soup with vegetables and dumplings. The addition of the soup mix adds an intense and savory flavor I simply can’t get otherwise. Though I have not tried it, I would imagine a packet of Lipton’s onion soup mix could work well or any other dried vegetable soup mix. Don’t add too much salt to your broth or your soup will be way too salty after you add the vegetable soup mix.
Thank you, Randal, for your suggestion to get this off my chest. I feel better now! If you would like a copy of the chicken soup recipe, please email me.