Ultimate comfort – in a soup
Roasted chicken breasts and stock provide the foundation for this beyond-comforting dish.
It’s all the richness of savory pot pie in soup form, created by the queen herself. You may already have most of the ingredients in this recipe — which is featured in Ina Garten’s new, pandemic-minded “Modern Comfort Food” (Clarkson Potter; $35) — though you may need to pick up the sherry and fresh tarragon. Oh, and the Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry to make those darling croutons.
A few notes: First, wet leeks will steam, rather than saute, Garten says. So chop the white and light green parts, wash them well in a bowl of water and then spin them dry in a salad spinner.
Wondra, if you’re unfamiliar with it, is basically an instant flour. If you don’t have Wondra on hand, mix a similar amount of all-purpose flour with a little water or stock, and add the resulting paste to the broth to thicken it.
And the key to using puff pastry is to keep it very cold until it goes into the hot oven. Defrost frozen puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator, then roll it, cut it and bake it just before serving.
Ina Garten’s Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons
Serves: 6
Ingredients for Soup
■ 3 chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in (2½ to 3 pounds total)
■ Good olive oil
■ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
■ 6 tablespoons ( ¾ stick) unsalted butter
■ 5 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (3 leeks) (see note)
■ 4 cups chopped fennel, tops and cores removed (2 bulbs)
■ 3 cups (½-inch) diced scrubbed carrots (5 medium)
■ 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
■ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
■ ¼ cup Wondra flour
■ ¾ cup cream sherry, divided use
■ 7 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
■ 2-by-3-inch piece of Italian Parmesan rind
■ 10-ounce package frozen peas
■ 1 cup frozen whole pearl onions
■ ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Ingredients for Puff Pastry Croutons
Yield: 12 croutons Ingredients
■ All-purpose flour
■ 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
■ 1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash
■ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions for Soup
1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the chicken on a sheet pan, skin side up. Rub the skin with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes, until a thermometer registers 130 to 140 degrees. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the skin and bones and cut the chicken in 1-inch dice. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks, fennel and carrots, and sauté over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender but not browned.
4. Stir in the garlic and tarragon and cook for one minute. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of the sherry, the chicken stock, 4 teaspoons salt, 1½ teaspoons pepper, and the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.
5. Add the chicken, peas and onions and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the Parmesan rind and add the remaining ¼ cup sherry and the parsley. Serve hot in large shallow bowls with two Puff Pastry Croutons on top
Directions for Puff Pastry Croutons
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Lightly dust a board and rolling pin with flour. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry on the board, dust it lightly with flour, and lightly roll the pastry just to smooth out the folds.
3. With a star-shaped or fluted round cookiecutter, cut 12 stars or rounds of pastry and place them on the prepared sheet pan. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.