“Dum, about the broth, there…”
For anything related to food, as far back as I can remember, I’ve always called Doom. He is the son of a butcher. At a very young age, he fell in love with food.
Posted on Dec 27, 2021
Chicken, fish, sauce, cooking, selection of vegetables, where to find an exotic spice: call Doum.
At one time he was covering Formula 1. I called him, heard vroom-vroom in the watermark.
“I forgot the chicken on the counter after grocery shopping.
– How long ?
– I don’t know, three hours, three and a half hours.
– Throw it.
Wow, wow, wow.
– OK. Where are you ?
– Kuala Lumpur, bye. »
Vrommm, vrouuuuuum.
Doom cooks as others fight. One day he took over an oyster party at my house. He prepared the oysters with cheese and breadcrumbs. Then there was the garnish to the ceiling, but these were the best oysters ever devoured by any guest.
Another time in Mexico he made chocolate chicken, a local specialty if I remember correctly. There was chocolate everywhere, even in the curtains, but on the plate it was a triumphant supper.
“I never get to sear the steak like the people on the stove.
– Don’t you have a barbecue?
– Did not work.
Vrouwum, vrouwum.
— OK, bake the empty pan for 15 minutes in the oven.
“Broil?”
– Roasted, then it will be hot, be careful not to burn yourself.
– And?
“And then you sear your steak over the fire.
Wow, wow, wow.
– Where are you ?
— At Spa-Francorchamps.
– Where is ?
– In Belgium. »
I always say that food is like repair. You need tools and someone needs to show you the basics. Then you build on it. My mother introduced me to cooking as a child, to making the basics—steak, pasta, broccoli margherit—when I kept to myself while she worked at the hospital on the “4 à midnight,” evening shift.
And when I met Doom 30 years ago in college, he took me to the next levels…
My mother, by the way, called him the youngest.
After that, he and I, we had a bit of a falling out, much to my fault, of course, because I could be quite a jerk at times. All this to say that it was a few years before the mayonnaise reignited between the butcher’s son and I, when I finally saw the light and gave a mea culpa.
So I recently called Doom, “For the broth, here…”
I make no worse chicken broth, I’m not saying that to brag. I’m one of those people who keeps chicken carcasses and bones in the freezer along with carrots and celery to make stock when needed. I even bought a huge pot with a built-in strainer to make the broth easier. whoop! throw it all in the freezer, add some salt and let it reduce…
delicious
But something told me that Doom must have some secret recipe to take my chicken broth to the next level, maybe even legendary. Doom does everything better than me (in the kitchen anyway). So I called the butcher’s son to see if I could pimp one of his tips.
“Are you at home?
– Yes.
– I’m coming. »
And Doom arrived in my kitchen, he had an hour and a half to kill before he went to get his third dose. He first sprinkled my chicken carcasses with spices, salt and herbs before tossing them in the oven, with half a bulb of dill: “You have to roast the chicken BEFORE you cook it. »
And while the chicken was roasting at 400 degrees, the butcher’s son put butter in a pan before adding the carrots, celery and onions. And a few cloves of garlic.
I opened a bottle of wine while admiring it as one admires a craftsman in his element.
Then I took out a wooden spoon.
“Okay, I’ll bra…
– No! Don’t touch anything! It should stick! »
We let the vegetables cook, even the frozen ones we let stick a little to the bottom of the pan before we take them out and stick a little more, it should have browned…
“And then we’ll deglaze with water…
– Why?
“That’ll get the juices going…”
We did the same with the roasting pan with the chicken, deglazed with water and threw the liquid into the boiling pot, with the vegetables and the chicken…
Contest result, after a few hours: I made the best chicken broth of my life, thanks to Doom.
Life lesson of a fifty-something, at the dawn of 2022: save your chicken carcasses, make your own stock soup, and cultivate your old friendships; it’s like chicken carcasses, don’t waste them.
My friend Dominique fougere’s broth recipe
So on Friday, I suggested saving your turkey carcasses, carrots, celery, dill, and spices for this column.
Here is the recipe. Match the amounts to the size of your pot.
The vegetables
In your largest pot: a quarter cup of butter and olive oil. Add two large onions, 2-3 carrots, 2-3 stalks of celery with leaves if possible, 2-3 cloves of garlic.
Cut everything in bulk.
Cook over high heat until everything is browned.
Let it stick a little, then deglaze with half a cup of water. Allow the water to evaporate, then allow the vegetables to stick to the bottom of the pan again. You can repeat the staining-deglazing cycle two or three times.
meat
In a drain pan, toss the chicken bones and carcass with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add herbs. And put half a bulb of fennel under the chicken. Bake 30-45 minutes at 400°F until chocolate brown in places.
Deglaze the draining bowl with water and place everything – fennel, chicken carcass and bones and the deglazing liquid – into the bowl with the vegetables. Add the water.
Season with salt and pepper to taste (all flavors are natural).
Bring to a boil, after 5 minutes reduce heat to medium to simmer.
Simmer for three hours, add water if necessary, do not let it reduce too much.
Strain everything through a strainer.
Freezes easily.
It will make a good broth for your soups.