Recovering From My 5280 Coma

Food Snob is in culinary heaven right now.  For the past two weeks or so (ending this Friday), she has been indulging in Denver's annual Restaurant Week celebration.  For two wonderful weeks, locals can dine on a three-course meal at some of Denver's best restaurants for only $52.80 for two people; or $26.40 for one.  Restaurant week menus usually include a selection of appetizers; at least one meat, one fish, and one meatless entree; and one or more dessert selections.  It's a great time to try out new places, new dishes, and new trends and see if you can replicate some of the "winners" at home.

Food Snob rarely eats an appetizer AND an entree AND a dessert by herself. The portions are too large, and Food Snob has a rule that she ALWAYS takes half the entree home for lunch the next day. Not during Restaurant Week, however. The portions are a little smaller--too small to split--so she just gives up and eats the whole thing.

What to eat the rest of the week, then?  Time for something incredibly nutritious, low in calories, and delicious (it's Restaurant Week, after all - we must at least TRY to keep up with the competition). Food Snob found the perfect antidote - Chicken Barley Soup.

The inspiration for this delicious soup came from the March edition of Food and Wine magazine, given to me by my friend, MaryAnn. The ingredients in this month's Chicken and Barley Stew with Dill and Lemon were the starting point for Food Snob's version of this soup.

Although the ingredients are mostly the same, the dish is quite different for several reasons:  First, I wanted to reduce the fat in the recipe; second, I wanted soup, not stew; and third, since the recipe calls for chicken breast, I wanted to "poach" the chicken rather than "stew" the chicken.  Chicken breast, it turns out, is one of the most difficult parts of poultry to cook properly.  If it cooks one minute beyond "just done," it becomes dry and stringy.  Hence the source of the annual discussion on how to cook the Thanksgiving turkey so that the dark thigh meat is done and tender (requires more cooking) and the breast meat is not overdone (requires less cooking).  Volumes have been written on the subject.

Food Snob learned the secret to poaching chicken breast and making perfect chicken soup when she attended cooking classes at Cook Street last summer.  Chicken breast is poached in stock (at a temperature just below simmering) only until just done (the meat is no longer transparent, but still very juicy).  Then the chicken breast is immediately removed from the stock and allowed to rest, wrapped in foil, so it doesn't cook any more.  When the soup is finished, cut the chicken breast into 3/4 inch cubes, divide among your soup bowls, and then ladle the soup on top.  The difference between stewing and poaching is absolutely amazing, in terms of quality and flavor!

For best results, use good quality, organic chicken breasts or chicken tenders (chicken tenders will cook more quickly).  Food Snob tried the same recipe with chicken breasts she had purchased at the supermarket and previously frozen and there was no comparison.

In the recipe that follows, cooking the pearled barley takes the longest time (about 40 to 45 minutes), so that is why you should start with that step.  The rest of the recipe comes together quickly.  The recipe makes six big servings, so if you aren't planning on eating it all at once, add the rest of the chicken to the broth once it has cooled and then reheat only what you plan to eat, and only until just hot, or the chicken will overcook and become dry and stringy.  Food Snob has been eating this soup for lunch all week.  Here is the recipe:

Chicken and Barley Soup with Dill and Lemon (serves 6 to 8)
Preparation time:  about 45 minutes

Spray a medium saucepan with cooking spray, and add about a teaspoon of olive oil.  Heat over medium heat.  When hot, add:

1 and 1/2 cup pearled barley

Stir the barley and allow it to toast lightly for about one minute (watch carefully).  Remove from heat and add:

2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water


Stir; reduce heat and allow to simmer until done - about 35 minutes.  Meanwhile, spray a large, heavy bottom stock pot with cooking spray and add about a teaspoon of olive oil.  Place over medium heat and when hot, add:

3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced

Stir the vegetables and "sweat them" for about 10 minutes, until soft (see Food Snob's blog dated January 5 to learn how to "sweat" vegetables).  Stir in:

2 cloves garlic, minced


Stir garlic for about a minute, and then add:

4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups dry white wine
4 sprigs fresh tarragon, 4 sprigs fresh italian parley, and one bay leaf, tied together in a bundle
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders, washed and patted dry with paper towels
1 two-inch square piece of rind from hard cheese (if you have some)


Turn heat down, allow stock to heat to just barely below a simmer.  Cook chicken until just done - about 10 minutes for chicken breasts and less for chicken tenders. Test for doneness by removing one piece and cutting into it - the meat should be opaque and juicy.  Remove chicken immediately, cut into 3/4 inch cubes, and cover with foil to keep warm.

Allow the stock to continue simmering until the barley is tender.  Remove the herb bundle and add the cooked barley to the soup.  To finish the soup, add:

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons port wine or sherry
2 Tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
fresh ground pepper

Do not skip these last five ingredients - they are essential.  Taste for seasoning; add sea salt or kosher salt if needed.  Divide chicken between 6 or 8 serving bowls; stir the soup and ladle over the chicken.  Garnish with fresh parley or dill and serve with a delicious piece of whole-grain bread.  Food for the soul!