South of the Border Soup

   

Today on Tonia's Kitchen, we're talking about Southern Latin-Style cooking...a different kind of fusion that combines the spice of South-of-the-Border dishes with the sauciness of American Southern cooking. And the chef who's doing the combining, stopped by to talk about some of her favorite.  Sandra Gutierrez told Tonia about her Chilled Avocado-Buttermilk Soup with Crab Salad Nachos.  This is a classic soup with a twist: refreshing, smooth, and sinfully delicious. Every spoonful is like a collision of textures in which buttery liquid meets crunchy chips and tender seafood. Sherry imparts depth of flavor; cayenne lends subtle spiciness that lingers on the tongue. The lime juice seasons this soup lightly without overpowering the flavor of the avocados. Chileans serve palta reina, an avocado filled with creamy salad (most often chicken or seafood), as a first course, and Sandra says she couldn't resist transforming this combination of ingredients into an enticing soup that is as easy to make as it is impressive to serve. For a stunning presentation, serve this soup well chilled in glasses.

For the soup

2 Hass avocados

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup buttermilk

1//4 cup dry sherry

1//4 cup minced onion

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 1//2 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste

For the crab salad

1 cup crabmeat (claw meat only), picked for shell fragments

1//4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoons lime juice

1 tablespoon minced white onion

2 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley (leaves and tender stems)

Pinch cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the nachos

8 corn tortillas, quartered

1//2 cup vegetable oil

Halve and pit the avocados; scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a blender. Add the chicken broth, buttermilk, sherry, onions, and garlic; blend until smooth. Transfer the avocado soup to a nonreactive bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and lime juice; cover well with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 6 hours).

Make the crab salad: in a medium bowl, combine the crabmeat, mayonnaise, lime juice, onions, and parsley, being careful not to break up the crab meat; add the cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Chill the salad until ready to serve.

Fry the tortilla chips: Fit a baking sheet with a metal cooling rack. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 360˚. Working in batches, carefully add the tortilla pieces to the oil. Fry them, turning halfway through, until golden and crispy on both sides (2-3 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried chips to the prepared cooling rack; sprinkle with salt.

To plate: ladle the soup into chilled bowls. Top each tortilla chip with crab salad and float one in every soup bowl; serve the rest on a platter. Serve immediately.

This is One Buttery Chicken

  

Fried chicken. It's been a classic American staple for a long time. And while it's most always a delicious and welcome treat at any table, there's always a way to improve upon a classic! Food Network Chef Claire Robinson came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her scrumptious Buttermilk Pecan and Panko Breaded Chicken. She told Tonia the Buttermilk really tenderizes the chicken nicely. She marinates the chicken along with some hot sauce for added zestiness. Claire recommends you serve it with a delicious salad.

2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup toasted pecans

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently flatten with a meat mallet or heavy flat object to an even 1/3-inch thick.
2. In a shallow bowl add the chicken and the buttermilk. Cover and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
3. In a food processor, pulse pecans until finely ground. Transfer the pecans to a large rimmed dish and add the panko bread crumbs. Mix to combine well.
4. Remove marinated chicken breasts from buttermilk and shake off excess. Dip chicken in breading mixture, evenly coating both sides.
5. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil. Add breaded breasts and shallow fry about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden in color. Remove from oil to and drain on paper towels. Immediately season with salt and pepper and place on a serving platter of individual dishes.
6. Serve it with a yummy salad for a super tasty meal. Enjoy!