When you think of gourmet food, do you think of your favorite fancy restaurant, or your neighbor, a highly experienced cook? Most people do. However, it's not necessary to know every little thing about cooking in order to create gourmet soups. Soup is a dish that lends itself to experimentation. All you really need are a few gourmet ingredients, fresh seasonings and your imagination. You'll be amazed at the tasty results. Let's take a look at some easy techniques that even the novice cook can use with astonishing success.
Just about any food that you regard as gourmet is a candidate for soup. Here are some foods that work well in gourmet soup creations. Crab (or Krab(TM), shrimp, clams, oyster, salmon and other firm fleshed fish are great flavor additions for soup. Portobello mushrooms, along with any or all of the exotic dried mushrooms are also excellent flavor enhancers in soup. When using dried mushrooms that require soaking in water to reconstitute, be sure to add that water to the pot.
Other ingredients may not strike you as gourmet foods, but add gourmet flavor, nonetheless. For example, lightly cooked bacon, cut in bite sized pieces, adds exotic flavor to an ordinary chowder. Make your own list of gourmet foods and choose several that you think will go together well on your palate. Most people can do this intuitively. Give it a try and see for yourself just how taste smart you actually are.
One technique common to gourmet dishes is a layered approach, which produces complexity of taste. For example, if you marinate your shrimp prior to adding it to your soup, the flavor imparted to the soup becomes a pleasing, nuanced taste your guests can't quite put their finger on. This technique is what adds complexity to a gourmet soup dish. Another example of introducing this layered effect is to caramelize onions before adding them to the soup pot. The onions are no longer ordinary onions, diced up and tossed in. The caramelization changes the depth and character of the onion's flavor, adding yet another dimension to the finished dish. Smoked meats and seafood are yet another way to add that gourmet flavor.
When considering your seasonings, it's good to have a seasoning chart to help you pair foods perfectly with herbs and spices. A book of marinades and seasoning mixtures will also boost your gourmet soup's success. If you don't want to buy these guides, just look online for hundreds of such charts and herb recipes.
You needn't stuff your stockpot with an all gourmet lineup. Don't neglect some of the more ordinary ingredients. White mushrooms, corn, bell peppers and water chestnuts add variety of texture, another component of a gourmet soup.
For a first effort, make a small quantity of soup to see if you like the results. Tweak the seasonings and add or subtract ingredients until you get your perfected gourmet soup. It's easier than you think!
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