Brazilian Chicken and Shrimp Soup
When the box containing my new Cuisinart’s Rice-Plus™ Multi-Cooker arrived at our house, we were in the middle of dinner. The kids, as to be expected, immediately left their seats to come see what was inside the enormous package. I assured them that they would not be as excited about what was in the box as I was. CandyMan was then intrigued. “What IS in the box?” I told him about the free Rice Multi-cooker that Cuisinart sent me just to try a new recipe. His response? “We already have a rice cooker.”
By the next morning, HE was singing it’s praises. This is no ordinary rice cooker. Sure, you can cook rice in in. But it also has the ability to saute or steam vegetables, slow cook, cook oatmeal, and soups. It’s a one-stop kitchen tool that I am loving. Last week, I tried my Arroz con Pollo recipe in the Multi-cooker. I was able to saute the onions and peppers, brown the rice, and then add all the additional ingredients (including the chicken on a steam tray on top of the rice). I hit cook and walked away. I ran a few errands and came back home to perfect arroz con pollo. (I’ll be sharing this recipe on my recipe blog soon!)
The recipe below for Brazilian Chicken and Shrimp Soup was developed specifically by Chef Keller, one of the top three finalists in Bravo’s recent Top Chef Masters, using the Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker. The inspiration for this dish came from the two years in which Chef Keller worked in Brazil with Master Chef Roger Verge at Cuisine du Soleil. There, he began to integrate some of the bright, bold flavors of Brazilian cooking that make this soup so unique and flavorful: combining chicken and jumbo shrimp, while using coconut milk and lime juice to deepen and enliven the stock base, and ultimately, adding a final flourish of cilantro.
Brazilian Chicken and Shrimp Soup
A medley of aromatic spices, chicken and shrimp gives this hearty, Brazilian-inspired soup a burst of flavor; great as a one-pot meal.
Serves 8
5 chicken thighs, skinned
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 small)
1 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted peanuts
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups coconut milk
8 ounces raw shrimp (medium size), peeled and de-veined
10 ounces frozen peas
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice for serving
*Prepare rice using the long-grain directions on the cooking chart for Cuisinart’s Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker. Rice can also be prepared the day before.
*Place the chicken in a medium mixing bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and rub chicken with minced garlic. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
*In the cooking pot of the Cuisinart Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker, add the olive oil. Set to Quick Cook and press start. Once the olive oil is hot, after about 3 minutes, add the onions and peppers and sauté for about 4 minutes until soft and fragrant.
*Stir in the canned tomatoes including juice, peanuts, jalapeno, bay leaves, salt, pepper, broth, and coconut milk. (Note: be sure to stir the coconut milk prior to pouring from can). Add the chicken and marinade and stir until well combined. Turn the unit off. Close the lid and select the Soup function and set the timer for 5 hours.
*15 minutes before the timer is done, rinse the shrimp well and pat dry. Place in a mixing bowl with the remaining lime juice and a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 5 to 8 minutes; no longer or the acid of the juice will begin to cook the shrimp.
*Once there are 5 minutes remaining on the timer, open the lid and add the frozen peas and the shrimp, with the juices, and close again to finish cooking.
*Once the timer tone sounds, open the lid. Discard the bay leaves. Take out the whole chicken pieces and place on a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bone, cut into bite size pieces, and return to the pot. Stir in the cilantro to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
*To serve, place some warm cooked rice (approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup depending on portion size) in the bottom of each soup bowl and ladle the soup on top. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and/or chopped peanuts.
Final verdict: The family loved it. KitKat said she hadn’t tasted anything so good in a LONG time. CandyMan had 3 servings. It was very flavorful without being spicy-hot. And, best of all, it was fast and easy to prepare. We’re definitely keeping this recipe!
A little bit of information on the Multi-cooker: Cuisinart Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology, everyday retail price: $149
The Multi-Cooker features pre-programmed menu options, a 24-hour programmable finish time and an automatic “Keep Warm” setting that activates after cooking is complete. Cuisinart’s new kitchen appliance is also equipped with an easy-to-read control panel and backlit blue LCD display; pre-programmed menu options that include White Rice, Sushi Rice, Brown Rice and Risotto (which is most often made with Arborio Rice); and additional options for Soup, Oatmeal, Slow Cooking, and Steaming. In addition, the unit has Quick Cooking and Reheat functions.
For the rest of the week, we’re going to be eating left overs and random things out of the fridge to make room for all of the Thanksgiving foods that we’ll be making later this week. I can’t wait!
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