My guilty pleasure is a little bit different from most people's.
It involves a voluptuous woman, some serenading music, a lot of heat, a lot of fire, and a lot of leisurely stirring and grinding. Before things get multiple interpretations, perhaps it's wise for me to explain that that would be me, cooking up a storm in the comfort of my own kitchen, while listening to Nigella Lawson cooking shows.
Yes. I know. I said that. Cooking shows. I'm not a cool person.
Nigella Lawson is probably the only woman in the world who can earn a living by cooking things literally drowned in butter and cream and still get hailed as one of the most beautiful and sexiest women on TV. A gorgeous face, elegant composure and some demure British accent would surely get you quite far in that industry, but her real charm is her clever way with words (she's also a writer) and her unabashedly joyful way of enjoying food. It is not for nothing that she is called the queen of food porn.
But what really draws me to her is how calming her shows are. The shows are definitely well-packaged -- dim, warm lighting, calming music, a cosy-looking kitchen and equally "cosy" dishes...Comfort food, really. All that combined just puts me in the best of moods. Forget meditation, I feel peaceful and emotionally recharged after an evening spent cooking with Nigella. Just me and my kitchen, a pot bubbling on the stove, the oven humming its low hum, and Nigella on my laptop -- not many things beat that.
This afternoon was just like that -- me, Nigella and my mexican lime soup.
This soup is a mingling of tangy, hot, sour and savoury. Topped with some crisp tortilla chips and creamy avocado, it is one of those perfect soups for a cold grey day (although I'm sure in Mexico they don't wait for a cold grey day to make this soup). The sour note is so strong that it almost takes you by surprise, but for a lime lover like me, this is a plus. The sweetness of the avocado works well to balance out the tang of the broth. The grilled chicken and the stock are what make it savoury. I would recommend pan-frying the chicken breast yourself -- save all the chicken-y juice that gather in the pan and add that to the soup for extra richness.
My Version of Sopa de Lima
adapted from www.soupchick.com
For 4 people
3 wholewheat tortillas
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced OR 1 jar of pickled jalapenos + 4 tbsp Mexican hot sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 350 gr carton of chopped tomatoes
5 cups chicken stock
Juice of 2 limes, plus the rinds
2 large chicken breasts
Salt, sugar and fresh black pepper to taste
Chopped garnishes (use what you like): diced red onion, chopped avocado, crumbled feta cheese, cilantro leaves
Preheat oven to 220 C. Slice tortillas into thin triangles and spread on a cookie sheet. Leave out on the countertop to get a bit stale while you prepare the soup.
In a stockpot, heat the oil. Sauté onion until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and chipotles/jalapenos, and stir for 30 seconds. Add the adobo sauce/hot sauce and tomatoes, stir 2-3 minutes.
Add stock, lime juice, lime halves, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat up a bit of oil on a pan, and pan-fry the chicken breasts, sprinkling them with salt and pepper generously. When one side is done, flip and cook the other side; season generously as well. When just cooked thoroughly, take the breasts off the heat. Be careful not to overcook the breasts, as they will get stringy and dry. They will continue to cook from the residual heat. Let them stand for 15 minutes before slicing.
After 15 minutes, slice the chicken into chunky strips and add to the soup. Aeason with salt and pepper. Remove lime rinds. Set soup aside, covered. (If making ahead, cool soup completely, and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat before serving.)
Bake the tortilla strips for 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Stir half of the tortilla strips into the soup, and let sit for 5 minutes. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and garnish with more crispy tortilla strips and your choice of garnishes.
What's your guilty pleasure?
For some reason, Mexican food always makes me want to be whisked away to some tropical island...
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