We have been so spoiled here in Seattle. Weather has been beautiful. Dry, cool, sunny. Until yesterday that is. It was muggy and grey. Around 58F. Light rain. I love days like these. Perfect for soup. So, taking advantage of the chicken stock I made Tuesday night and to continue Pim's "Around the world in a bowl of rice" theme, last night, for the second evening in a row, dinner was rice based. I shopped for my "Courgettes" (Yellow Zuchinni) at Larry's Market. They were out of them but the produce manager told me Yellow Squash (imported from Mexico) is the same deal. They will have to do.
Last night's offering came out of from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer book. Her Happiness Soup is just right for today's weather. She made this recipe on her Forver Summer serie, seen in the US on the Style Network (Episode: Yellow, #01). It looked so cheerful and tasty. I've been wanting to make it ever since.
I did, however, make a few adjustments to it. I'll explain...
I love to buy and read cookbooks. I devour them. Keep them everywhere. Usually have 2 or 3 going at the same time, reading them like novels, by chapters, bookmarking and annotating my favorite recipes and suggestions, new ingredients to try, sources, etc. I go back to them over and over. Even now, with all the wonderful culinary blogs on the web that I enjoy reading on a daily or weekly basis, cookbooks are still my main source of inspiration and my reference for most of the cooking I do around these parts. However, I indulge the kitchen scientist in me, more often than not, by altering recipes, adding this or skipping that, in the process making them my own or taking them to a totally different place, creating sometime new altogether.
This recipe was no different. The stock was made fresh from a lovely and plump chicken and not from a bouillon as Nigella does. Even after carefully and throughly skimming the fat from a still cold from the fridge and very gelatinous and beautifully clear stock this morning, there is plenty of yummy chicken fat there. Hence, I have only used one teaspoon of olive oil instead of 3 tablespoons.
A clove of garlic was also added to enhance the flavors and round off the lemon. Towards the end of the cooking time, I added a dollop of crème fraîche to thicken the soup and mellow the yellow. The carnivore in me felt compelled to add, right before serving, some of the chicken breast, pulled by hand from the carcass of the stock chicken last night.
RE:the amounts of lemon and lemon zest on this soup. Mind your lemons. Nigella says:" Zest and juice of one lemon". Just how big is that lemon? Who knows! But mine was big. A beautifully fat and yellow lemon from Larry's. So, what I did was zest the whole thing with a Microplane but used only one teaspoon of the zest.
As far as the lemon juice I added three tablespoons. I measured them in order to add the lemon juice bit by bit and avoid making unhappiness sour soup instead. It worked. Perfect balance of lovely tanginess and not a hint of sour or bitter undertones. Other than this, it is pretty much as per the Nigella's book. ;-)
Needless to say, the soup was delicious. We had it with a Sourdough Batard from Larry's Market . For dessert, Fage Total Greek Yoghurt with fresh blackberries, walnuts and a drizzle of Acacia honey. A very simple yet luscious way to end a meal.
Happiness indeed!
Nigella Lawson's Happiness Soup (adapted)
18 ounces yellow squash (2 large)
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 cups fresh chicken stock
4 ounces (½ cup) Basmati rice
Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper
