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Is there any real parallel Technique like this? (chicken)

1K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  osamaru 
#1 ·
So, I went to make dinner today, but the chicken breast I had was.... Subpar, to say the least. I said to heck with it, and just threw it in a pot to boil with some veggie stock and spices, thinking I'd just make a Burrito with it or something.

After a while boiling, it still wasn't that great, but surprisingly the broth itself was pretty good. So I decided make some soup instead. Took out the Chicken and added some cut veggie to make a light soup, when an Idea hit me.

instead of just cutting up the Meh chicken and throwing it back in the pot, I took about 1/4 of the broth and added it to a bowl with the chicken and then mixed it all together with a Hand Blinder till it was not quite a paste, but more than minced. I then added THIS back into the pot with the stewing veggies.

I have no real Idea why I decided to try it like this, but surprisingly it turn out really good. The Chicken-whatever-I-made, thickened up the soup quite a bit and spread the chickeny flavor evenly through it all. I whipped up some Pasta and threw it all together in a bowl and I don't regret it!

I definitely make it again, but it got me thinking; Are there any real Techniques/Dishes that does something similar to this, I might be able to look at and improve on what I was doing?
 
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#2 ·
Well, I don't think there are too many traditional techniques doing this type of thing. I'm sure in the great, grand annals of classical cooking there are dishes that puree proteins into soup or stews or whatever, but most people wouldn't puree the most expensive/best part of the animal and add it to soup.

I'm not knocking your idea or anything, since you said your breast was bad (I've been having a similar issue with "woody" disgusting chicken sometimes from the grocery) but in most cases making puree meat isn't the best use.

I know there is a mussel soup recipe called Billi Bi that is traditionally thickened with cream and a liason, but I've done it before where you take some of the mussels and their broth, puree it, and add it back to the soup. It really gives the soup a great depth of flavor. That's about the only time I can remember pureeing meat into a liquid for a soup or something similar.

I've also done a similar thing with beans (take some of the cooked beans and some cooking liquid and puree, then add back to main pot of beans for added flavor and body).

That's all I got.
 
#3 ·
Well, I don't think there are too many traditional techniques doing this type of thing. I'm sure in the great, grand annals of classical cooking there are dishes that puree proteins into soup or stews or whatever, but most people wouldn't puree the most expensive/best part of the animal and add it to soup.

I'm not knocking your idea or anything, since you said your breast was bad (I've been having a similar issue with "woody" disgusting chicken sometimes from the grocery) but in most cases making puree meat isn't the best use.

I know there is a mussel soup recipe called Billi Bi that is traditionally thickened with cream and a liason, but I've done it before where you take some of the mussels and their broth, puree it, and add it back to the soup. It really gives the soup a great depth of flavor. That's about the only time I can remember pureeing meat into a liquid for a soup or something similar.

I've also done a similar thing with beans (take some of the cooked beans and some cooking liquid and puree, then add back to main pot of beans for added flavor and body).

That's all I got.
XD Ya, I've never heard of anyone doing it either (though I have used beans like that, like you have, before). I'm not totally sure what made me think to do it, was more just on a whim. All in all, I was surprised at how well it worked. Though I think if I'd not done it so much, and kept most of the fibers together, it might have worked a little better too.
 
#5 ·
Like someday said best you not use prime cuts for this. But you can buy chicken "pulp," essentially meat that has been mechanically removed from ribs, neck, ect. And it's not unheard of, I've was at a Mexican restaurant that used this exclusively for a delicious chicken soup, a meal-size dish at that, and even one place in New Orleans.
 
#6 ·
Ya, I agree; despite it turning out alot better than I was expecting, It would be a waste to do this with good chicken. Rather, I was more surprised at how good it turned out, for how bad a piece of chicken that was used.

It might not have been turning Lead into Gold, but it was at turning gravel into Copper.
 
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