Holiday Soup Shooters

Serving hot soup as shooters? Yup! I created these soups in order for uyou to be able to quickly, and simply, prepare them with minimal effort, but with extraordinary kick. Serve these in small shot glasses in order to correctly live up to the name, or ladle them in large bowls to savor even longer.

Mexican Caliente

Although a churro is a sweet, cinnamon snack throughout Central America, this soup is the perfect vehicle for a touch of churro-flavored vodka. For those of you who aren't keen on parsnips, you will enjoy this great flavored soup because of the abundance of other flavors working so well together.



1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 apple, peeled cored and diced
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Smirnoff Cinnamon Churros Vodka*

　
Place oil in a large saucpan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook 4-6 minutes, or until softened. Stir in curry powder and parsnips. Continue cooking an additional 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add apple and broth, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until parsnips are very tender. In batches if needed, transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse on high until as smooth as possible. Place back into pan and keep warm. . Remove from heat and evenly divide among cordial, appertif or shot glasses. Drizzle vodka into each glass and serve.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups total volume

*Or use any cinnamon flavored vodka or liqueur.

　

'Jacked' Oyster-Gouda Bisque

 

 

This is my favorite soup shooter. The smoked Gouda and oysters are satisfying to my primal instinct while the cider brings out the best Yankee in me. This entire preparation works perfectly together.

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup hard apple cider *
1(7-ounce)can smoked oysters, drained


In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir until thickened and combined well. Add chicken broth and milk. Whisk well and continue cooking over medium heat until thickened and hot, about 4-5 minutes. Add cheese and continue stirring until cheese has completely melted. Remove from heat and blend in the oysters. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among cordial, appertif or shot glasses and drizzle desired amoung of hard apple cider on top of each. Serve immediately.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups by volume.

*Or use Applejack liquor

　

Citrusy Spiked Butternut Soup

 

There is just something about the flavor of orange with squash that just seems natural. Enjoy this low fat soup that has so much working for it, I would be here babbling too long trying to explain it. It is the perfect soup to begin a Holiday meal.



1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur *
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 small butternut squash, about 1 pound, peeled, seeded and diced
3 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup plain yogurt
Sprinkle nutmeg

Add cranberries and liqueur to a bowl, cover with film wrap and microwave until liquid is hot, but not boiling. Remove to let sit for at least 1 hour before continuing with recipe.

Add oil to a large saucepan over medium high heat. When hot, add onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add carrot and continue to cook and stir an additional 5 minutes. Add squash, broth, bay leaf and salt and black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are quite soft.

In batches if needed, transfer to a food processor or blender, removing bay leaf. Pulse on high until as smooth as possible. Carefully strain soup back into pan and bring to scalding. Remove from heat and stir in plain yogurt. Evenly divide among cordial, appertif or shot glasses and place some soaked cranberries in the middle of each, sprinkling with nutmeg before serving.

* This was a tough decision but use whatever orange liqueur you enjoy the most. Here are a couple of ideas though. Cointreau, Grand Marnier(although Cognac dominates the flavor of this alcohol and will darken the color of the soup) Orange or Blue Curaçao and Triple sec are the top choices for this recipe.

　

Damn Pumpkin Shooters

 

A great touch to these shooters would be to sprinkle some Cinnamon Schnapps into each right before serving.

1 cup pumpkin ale
1/4 cup dried figs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup skim milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon maple syrup
Salt and black pepper to taste

Warm the pumpkin ale in a large saucepan over low heat. Add figs and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove figs from liquid; set aside. Add remainder of ingredients to ale and whisk well. Increase heat to medium and bring to scalding, stirring frequently.

When ready to serve, Add ale mixture and soaked raisins to a food processor or blender and puree until as smooth as possible. Transfer to soup, stir well and divide among cordial, appertif or shot glasses. Garnish with some chopped figs on top if desired.

　

　

Yuletide Chestnut Cheer

 

Named for Fra Angelico, who was a hermit known for his unique, liquor-based recipes, the hazelnut flavor of Frangelico goes perfectly with the chestnuts in this soup shooter. Second on Santa's list would be Amaretto. Be it almond or hazelnut, this soup is quintessentially Yuletide.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic in oil
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
1(24-ounce)can or jar chestnuts, drained
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup creme fraiche
Frangelico or Amaretto

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, carrots, celery and chestnuts. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are starting to brown. Add broth and apple juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables and chestnuts are completely tender. In batches, puree in a blender or food processor until as smooth as possible. Strain into another saucepan and stir in creme fraiche. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into shot glassses and drizzle Frangelico or Amaretto into each glass. Serve immediately.

　

　

　

Simple! Simple! Simple!

Real New England Clam Chowder

Want real Chowder from a real New England, third generation, chef and without "fancified" herbs and seasoning? Want a chowder that screams crackers and napkins? This is it! Enough already with trying to prove that a Yankee Chowder needs 20 ingredients. There is a reason this dish has withstood generations here on the East coast and will continue to for many more to come. Hot, milky, highly flavorful and simply prepared. To me, and many other Downeast families, this is the epitome of comfort food. So make it as is and eat it, will ya'?

　

　

1 pound baking(russet) potatoes, peeled and diced

2 strips bacon, diced

1/2 small onion, minced

1 bay leaf

1 can chopped clams, drained

1 bottle clam juice

2 cups half-and-half or light cream

　

In a large saucepan, add the diced bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until just starting to crisp. Add the onions and continue cooking and stirring until the onions are softened but still firm. Drain the fat from the pan and add the diced potatoes. Add clam juice and enough water to cover by 2-inches. And don't forget the bay leaf. Boil for 5-6 minutes, or until potatoes are fork soft, but not mushy. Add half-and-half and the clams, stir to combine and heat to scalding. Remove from heat, stir gently once again and serve immediately. But to be honest, I love my chowder made a day ahead of time and reheated the following day. You can remove the bay leaf if desired, but you won't get kissed.

　

Simple and Creamy Maine Corn Chowder

Some people may say "Jim, your recipes are too simple!". I am proud of that because I have noticed more and more of the younger generation can't make even gravy and chowders, let alone a full meal. So here is another New England classic that I hope you enjoy in the simplicity of it, but with the flavor that will warm your insides in the upcoming winter. This is the second recipe for corn chowder I have given you. The first involved more bacon and onion, so choose for yourself which you would like to prepare, both are equally delicious. As for the name chowder? Many food historians have alluded to the word chowder as being a derivative of 'chaudiere", a pot used on fishing vessels by the French during the 17th century. I believe it is a dialectical result of Jowter, which was an old English fish peddler. Hence the first chowders made here in New England was fish chowder.

1 pound baking(russet) potatoes, peeled and diced

2 strips bacon, diced

1/2 small onion, minced

1(15-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 cup carrot juice

2 cups half-and-half or light crea1 tablespoon butter or margarine

　

In a large saucepan, add the diced bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until just starting to crisp. Add the onions ad continue cooking and stirring until the onions are softened but still firm. Drain the fat from the pan and add the diced potatoes. Add enough water to cover by 2-inches. Boil for 5-6 minutes, or until potatoes are fork soft, but not mushy. Add half-and-half, creamed corn, carrot juice and butter, stir to combine and heat to scalding. Remove from heat, stir gently once again and serve immediately.

　

　

　

Common Crackers

You don't find Common Crackers much anymore and that is a shame. When making chowder at home, take a few(very few) minutes and make these original crackers that our fore-mothers made only for the chowder-laden table. In essence, they are a very thin biscuit that has been cooked until crisp. Many old cookbooks say to soak your Common Crackers in milk before adding them to your chowder. Kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think? Regardless, They absorb chowder at just the right speed without becoming soggy before you finish.

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup cold butter or margarine

1/2-3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425-degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the butter and work it in with the tips of your fingers until the bits are half the size of peas. Add 1/2 cup milk, blending together to form a soft dough. Add more milk if needed.

Turn out onto a floured work surface. With plenty of flour, knead for a minute and flatten out with the palms of your hands. With a floured rolling pin, roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using the rim of a water glass, your preference in size, dip the glass in flour and cut out rounds of the dough. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Keep cutting and gathering up pieces of dough leftover from your cuttings until dough is used completely. Brush off excess flour from the tops of each cracker. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until well browned. Remove from oven and transfer onto wire racks or a paper towel-lined platter to cool.