Week 2: Broth Soups

Research

Introductions

• List the method of cookery and dishes to be covered in class

For our first official lab this week we are focusing on stocks and soups, with an emphasis on broth soups. We will be making vegetable stock, which will further be used to make the finished product - minestrone soup. Vegetable stock is started with cold water to sweat the vegetables, then boiled, reduced to a simmer, skimmed of impurities, strained, cooled and refrigerated. Minestrone soup is prepared by primarily simmering the ingredients, but also uses methods like soaking, sautéing, and cooking.

• List your learning objectives for the class

I have never made any type of stock before, so I am excited to cook vegetable stock this week. I hope to demonstrate my skills correctly, that I have acquired from reading and learning about vegetable stock, to prepare a clear base for the minestrone soup.

• Discuss your prior knowledge of the content

As I stated above, I have never made stock before. However, I know that stock (also called fond) is a flavored liquid typically used as a base for soups, sauces, and braised dishes.

Background Information

• Research and discussion of method of cooking/ techniques

The menu this week repeatedly calls for skimming (the stock) and simmering many ingredients in both recipes. Skimming is done frequently while stock is simmering to remove fat, scum, and impurities that may cause a cloudy appearance if not removed from the surface. Yet, skimming affects more than just the clarity of the stock. According to a study published by The Culinary Institute of America, "The consensus of why the CIA chefs skim stocks is…there is no consensus! Some skim for color, others for flavor, others to let the stock breathe, and some skim to remove albumen" (2017). Nevertheless, skimming is important for a plethora of reasons; but the method's significance seems to be based on personal preference. Broths are made by simmering flavoring ingredients in a liquid for a long period of time, so it is a crucial method to cover. Simmering is used when preparing both the vegetable stock and the minestrone soup this week. Gentle simmering at a temperature of about 185°F releases and blends flavors and allows for impurities to be skimmed. According to America's Test Kitchen, "Just as when you're making stock for soups or stews, boiling will cause soluble proteins and rendered fat to emulsify into the cooking liquid. By simmering, you avoid emulsifying the fat and thus keep the stock clearer, and we found that the scum created simply settled to the bottom of the pot" (n.d.). Furthermore, if a soup simmers too long, the volume can reduce and ultimately intensify the seasonings (especially salt).

• Research and discussion of primary ingredient

The primary ingredients for vegetable stock and minestrone soup are onion, carrot, and celery. Stocks (fond) are labeled as a French cuisine, while minestrone soup originated in Italy (Yummy, 2021). The type of minestrone soup we are making this week is a Southern Italian version, which differs from a Northern Italian minestrone in regards to the ingredients. Nevertheless, multiple vegetables are used in all types of minestrone, regardless of where the soup is made (Horton, 2016). According to an article by National Post, "In Italy, minestrone varies by season and by region: In the northern region of Lombardy, Negrin says, minestrone might include pasta and winter squash; farther south, in Tuscany, cannellini beans and cabbage or kale; in the coastal city of Genoa in the northwestern region of Liguria, it would be finished with pesto" (2016). Certain beans, vegetables, and types of pasta are only available during certain seasons; for example, white beans are usually more readily available during the springtime in Italy. Onions, carrots, and celery are generally available throughout the year in Italy, which makes them suitable ingredients for minestrone soup.

Dish/method variations

• Vegetable stock can be made by either simmering, roasting, or pressure cooking. We will be simmering the vegetable stock this week, which is the preferred method because it is best for balancing the flavors, retaining the natural colors, and producing a clean and clear stock, in comparison to roasting or pressure cooking. Likewise, minestrone soup can be made by simmering or using a one-pot method, a pressure cooker, or an instant pot. We will also be simmering the minestrone soup this week, which is best for blending the flavors.

Recipes

• Plan of Work

Report & Reflect

Results

• Describe the outcomes of the lab class

This week we practiced making stock and used the vegetable stock as a base for our minestrone soup. Prior to this first lab, the closest I had come to "cooking" anything was making boxed mac 'n' cheese; hence, the cooking process was a little rough, to say the least. Two team members were absent, and the one present groupmate stated he had very little experience cooking as well. Preparing our mise en place took about an hour, as we were both learning how to cut vegetables properly; even then, we never truly finished preparing our mise en place, and we were constantly running off throughout the cooking process to find tools we forgot to gather initially. We fell behind on time very quickly. Once we finally got a pot on the stove, we struggled to get everything to cook in a timely manner. We were the last team to finish cooking our minestrone soup, and we didn't want our classmates to wait on us; therefore, once our soup was finished and we prepared our plates, we immediately began our cleaning duties in the dish pit while our lunch cooled down. Unfortunately, my poor timeliness led to my soup being thrown away before I had the chance to taste my finished product.

• Describe how well the technique/cooking method worked

Simmering the vegetable stock was most suitable and provided a tasteful base for the soup. However, this technique was unfitting for the minestrone soup. The recipe called for a gentle simmer once adding the tomato concasse, stock, and pasta. Simmering the pasta near the end of the process was very inefficient, as it took approximately 25 minutes to completely soften both ingredients. I recognize that simmering the pasta in the same dish as the other ingredients gives the pasta flavor, but it lengthens the overall cooking time. I became impatient while waiting for the pasta to cook and turned up the heat, which most likely ruined the quality of some ingredients and the soup's flavor. Perhaps boiling the pasta in a separate pan, just enough to soften the noodles, then adding it into the main pan before it is fully cooked would be ideal, as it would speed up time and still allow the noodles to absorb flavor adequately.

• Describe the sensory results of the dish

  • Taste:

As I mentioned above, I did not have the chance to taste my final product because it was thrown away while I was allowing it to cool. However, I did taste my minestrone soup before I added salt, pepper, bacon, parsley, and basil. Before garnishing, the soup tasted very bland but also a bit sweet. I believe the hint of sweetness is from the natural sugar in the vegetables.

• Flavor:

The tomato paste and tomato concasse overpowered the flavors of the other ingredients. This may have occurred because I impatiently boiled the soup near the end of the process, and for a longer time than I was instructed to simmer it; doing so caused the stock to cook down in volume, leaving behind a heavy red liquid in the pot. Additionally, the vegetables and pasta tasted like tomatoes with a hint of garlic and no additional flavors. The primary taste of tomato in my minestrone soup must be caused by the high cooking temperature, heavy consistency, and bright red color.

• Texture:

As I mentioned above, the base of the soup was a bit heavy. The texture made it seem like I had added cheese or heavy whipping cream, which I did not. The vegetables were slightly too soft, but the zucchini and pasta were the perfect texture.

• Appearance:

My minestrone soup looked very similar to tomato soup with additional vegetables and ingredients. The soup should have appeared clear with a red tint, but mine was a thick, bright red color. Yet, I feel as though I did a great job garnishing the soup to make the finished product visually appealing.

Evaluation of results

• Explain and discuss the important outcomes using external references and citations

The most important outcomes this week were correctly simmering the stock and ingredients for the soup. According to an article by Mashed, "you want to avoid cooking the soup over high heat, causing it to boil harshly. If you do, the flavors in your soup may become too concentrated as the liquid evaporates too rapidly. Instead, keep the heat at a simmer. Doing so allows the soup components to cook at a slow and steady pace" (Coy, 2020).

• Discuss the techniques that did work well. Provide an explanation of why they did work.

Simmering the stock allowed for a delicious base for the soup, and is a technique I would use again for making stock. This week in lab I learned how to safely use knives and how to efficiently cut onions, carrots, and celery; these techniques helped me feel comfortable with using large knives and allowed me to competently chop up multiple vegetables quickly.

• Discuss the techniques that did not work well. Provide an explanation of why they did work.

Simmering the pasta (and zucchini) did not work well due to the length of class time. As I stated above, boiling the pasta in a separate pot and then adding it to the soup would be more suitable for making minestrone soup within a four-hour time span.

• Discuss the particular improvements and changes that could be implemented to improve the outcomes

As I was writing this reflection, I realized the mistake my team member and I made that led to our poor timeliness. The Chef instructed us to add zucchini to the soup when we added the pasta to prevent it from becoming soggy. However, the Chef never said not to sauté the zucchini before later adding it to the soup. We forgot to sauté the zucchini because we thought we were supposed to cook the ingredient by simmering it. It took almost 30 minutes to cook and soften the zucchini because we did not listen clearly to the instructions. In the future, I will make sure to thoroughly understand the Chef's instructions. Furthermore, I will properly gather my mise en place and try not to fixate on cutting my vegetables into the exact size. These improvements will drastically speed up the cooking time and allow for a better-tasting dish.

Conclusions

• Provide a concise and clear recap of the outcomes of the class.

This class taught me to listen clearly to the Chef's instructions, be productive yet patient with the cooking process, and to not over-fixate on one small task. I also learned cutting techniques, the importance of simmering, and how to make vegetable stock.

• Discuss the specific learning outcomes of the class and link them to the learning objectives that were previously identified.

My learning objective was to correctly make a clear vegetable stock for the minestrone soup, which I did correctly through the collaboration with each team. I should have focused more on my learning objectives for the minestrone soup, as that is where I struggled during class.

• Discuss additional skills and knowledge that were learned outside of the previously identified learning objectives.

As I mentioned above, I learned how to safely, properly, and efficiently cut various vegetables. For example, when cutting onions, you should cut with the lines to keep the vegetable from falling a part. Safe and proper cutting technique is as follows: place tip of knife down, slide back, push down and forward simultaneously. When cutting herbs like basil, you stack the leaves, roll them up, and chop.

• Explain the potential circumstances that the newly-found skills and knowledge could be applied.

When cutting any ingredient used in future recipes, I will use the new cutting techniques I learned to avoid injuries and increase efficiency. Additionally, I will practice the learning outcomes stated above in all future classes and restaurant jobs, as well as anytime I am cooking.

References

America’s Test Kitchen. (n.d.). For a clearer stock, Simmer; don’t boil. Cook’s

Illustrated.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/9260-for-a- clearer-stock-simmer-dont-boil#

Coy, W. (2020, December 10). Mistakes everyone makes when using the slow

cooker. Mashed. https://www.mashed.com/41195/11-mistakes-everyone-makes-using-slow-cooker/

Horton, E. C. (2016, May 26). The greens of spring are just right for minestrone:

Italian soup ... The greens of spring are just right for minestrone: Italian soup

ingredients vary by season and by region.

https://nationalpost.com/life/food/the-greens-of-spring-are-just-right-for-minestrone-italian-soup-ingredients-vary-by-season-and-by-region

Telinde, A. (2017, March 29). Exploring the “Why” of food in culinary science:

Taking stock of skimming. CIA Culinary School.

https://blog.ciachef.edu/exploring-food-culinary-science-taking-stock-skimming/

Yummefy. (2021, October 22). Minestrone soup recipe: Healthy Italian vegetable

soup: Minestrone soup with pasta. yummefy.com.

https://www.yummefy.com/minestrone-soup-recipe.html#:~:text=The%20origin%20of%20minestrone%20soup%3A&text=In%20the%202nd%20Century%20B.C.,dating%20back%20to%2030%20AD.