Norwegian Soup of Roasted Salmon and Savoy Cabbage

by Frou Frou Feliz

The salmon and savoy cabbage are oven roasted before added to the soup stock infusing a gently smoky flavor to this version of the usually creamy Norwegian Fish Soup.  

Ingredients:
1 bouquet garni recipe

1 Fish Stock recipe or
4 cups Chicken Stock recipe
¼ cup dry white wine
1 lb. skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups Savoy Cabbage, cut into 1 inch pieces 

Put Savoy Cabbage in a heat proof dish and lay salmon pieces on top of that.  Place in pre-heated 375 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.  In a large cooking pot, combine stock, white wine and Bouquet Garni. Simmer on medium low while the salmon is roasting.  Add salmon and savoy cabbage to the stock pot. Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Fine Herbes

Fines herbes is a culinary mainstay in French cuisine. The ingredients of fines herbes are fresh parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil^[1]. These "fine herbs" are not the pungent and resinous herbs that appear in a bouquet garni – which, unlike fines herbes, release their flavour in long cooking. Marjoram, cress ^[2], cicely^[2] or lemon balm^[2] may be added to fines herbes. The marjoram and tarragon may be dried.

Bouquet Garni, Variations

The Bouquet Garni is a bundle of herbs tied together with string or stem used to prepare soup, stock, and various stews. The bouquet is boiled with the other ingredients, but is removed prior to consumption. Most Bouquet Garni recipes include parsley, thyme and bay leaf.

Variations will also may include basil, burnet, chervil, rosemary, savory and tarragon.

Sometimes vegetables such as carrot, celery (leaves or stem), celeriac, leek, onion and parsley root are also included in the bouquet, but in general those work best as mirepoix and are "sweated" with oil or butter beforehand and added along with the bouquet to the stock. Spices such as peppercorn are added in this manner, too.

Bunch together fresh herbs into a bouquet and tie together with twine or with a maleable herb stem:
 
Bouquet Garni, 1st variation:
2 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs parsley

A minimalist version, the 1st variation works well with light fish stocks.

Bouquet Garni, 2nd variation:
2 celery stalk greens or italian parsley
2 dried bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh parsley

The celery and/or italian parsley works well to bring out the flavors of chicken and fish.

Bouquet Garni , 3rd variation:
2 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

This third variation robust. It works well with beef, pork, game or chicken stock.

Bouquet Garni, 4th variation:

1 sprig sage
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

The sage in this bouquet variation adds a nice touch.

Espagnole Sauce

This is one of the classic french foundation sauces even if its title is attributed to the Spanish. :) It makes any dish lush. 

Ingredients:

1 gallon Brown Stock, hot
1 1/2 cups Roux
1/4 cup bacon fat
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 Bouquet Garni

In a stock pot, whisk the hot stock into the roux. In a large saute pan, heat the bacon fat. Add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir the tomato puree into the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato/vegetable mixture to the stock/roux mixture. Add the bouquet garni and continue to simmer, skimming as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for about 45 minutes. Strain the sauce through a cheese cloth or a china cap.

Demi-Glace

 Demi-glace is one of the classic French foundation sauces used as an accompaniment to savory dishes or as a part of another recipe.

Ingredients:

1 gallon Espagnole Sauce*, hot
1 gallon Brown Stock*, hot
1 Bouquet Garni*

In a stock pot, combine the Espagnole sauce, brown stock and bouquet garni over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer as it begins to boil.  Simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 1 1/2 hours. Skim the liquid occasionally for fat and impurities. Salt and pepper to taste. Strain.

Brown Stock

 

by TAG Editor

Brown stock is a foundation recipe that makes everything you use it with taste just that much richer and more amazing.  A classic.

Roast the below:

8 lbs Veal Bones
4 lbs Beef Bones
About 1 1/2 Cups Tomato Paste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the bones on roasting pans in a single layer, I use two pans. Roast the bones in the oven for 2 hours, turning them over occasionally. Roast until nicely browned, black is bad. When the bones are deep brown, smear the Tomato Paste onto the bones and put them back in the oven for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until the paste starts to brown.
Transfer the bones to a large stockpot. Covering past the bones with 2 inches with water. Bring to a near boil, turn heat to simmer. Skim impurities that float to surface with a ladle. The stock should be as still as possible. You want to achieve a clear stock. Frequent skimming is important. Keep bones covered with stock, if they get exposed add water to cover. Simmer for about 2-3 hours.

Add vegetables below to pan with drippings (the first three combined is called Mirepoix:

5 medium onions, washed and quartered with skins
5 carrots, washed and cut into cubes
5 stalks celery, washed and cut into cubes
1 bulb of garlic (whole head)

Tie all below into a cheesecloth:

Bouquet Garni*
peppercorns
garlic

Cook vegetables in the oven for about 1 hour or until the onions are caramelized. Put the roasted vegetables into a bowl and set aside. Deglaze with about 1-2 cups of cold water in each, scraping away the brown particles with a whisk maximizing the flavor that will be added to the stock.  Add this liquid mixture to the stock.When the stock has simmered for about 3 hours, add the vegetable Mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery combination) and Sachet to the pot. Simmer for 3-4 hours more.  Ladle the stock through a strainer.  You are aiming for a clear, flavorful stock.  There's about a gallon of brown stock when finished.

Let stock cool then refrigerate. Afterwards, skim and discard the solidified fat from the top.  The stock can be freezed in batches for later recipe use.

Bourguignonne Sauce, Inspired by the Larousse Gastronomique

Bourguignonne Sauce
 ... for Eggs, Meat, Poultry

• 1 cup Wine Reduction* click for recipe
• Bouquet Garni* click for recipe
• 1 1/2 cups Espagnole Sauce* click for recipe
• 3 tablespoon butter

Add a Bouquet Garni to 1 cup of Wine Reduction.  Add the Espagnole Sauce and cook the mixture down by half.  Before serving, add the butter and whisk well.