Sopes Sopa - or - Chicken Masa Soup

I came back from the beach to find these

Sopes

in the fridge.

Gummy, doughy little Masa cakes called sopes. Usually, you steam or grill them and fill with a savory meat saucy thing. The Masa turns a cheesy consistency and the whole dish should remind you of a tamale.

Texture in food is a big thing for me, so they are, Far and Large, my least favorite Latin ingredient.

I've been craving a good tortilla soup lately, so I decided to deconstruct (a nice word for chopping them to hell) and used them as Masa flour for my Chicken Masa Soup. 

 - If you don't happen to have your own package of redi-made sopes in your fridge... you can use cornmeal...or regular Masa.

Chicken Masa Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 Chicken Thighs - (Bone In / Skin On)

2 Cups Tomato Juice

2 Cups Chicken Stock

1 Medium Onion - Minced

2 Poblano Peppers - Diced

1 Red Bell Pepper - Julienne

1 Clove Garlic - Chopped

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tablespoon Oregano

2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Oil

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

4 Sopes (or - 1/2 Cup Masa Flour) + 1 additional sopes diced

1/2 Cup Oil

1 Avocado - Diced

Dutch Oven

• On Medium High heat, add the oil, peppers, garlic and spices - saute until the spices heat and begin to perfume
• Add the chicken, stock and juice, reduce to medium and cover
• Cook for 45 minutes
• Remove the chicken and shred the meat, discarding the skin and bones
• Return the chicken to the pot with the chopped sopes (or the Masa flour)
• Reduce the heat to low and stir until all the sopes are dissolved and begin to thicken the soup

• In a separate pan, heat the 1/2 cup of oil and fry the remaining diced sopes until brown and crispy - drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt
• To Serve:
• Ladle 1/4 of the soup into a large bowl and top with 1/4 of the diced avocado and fried sopes

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One From Column B ...

Recently Sung, a good friend of mine from Taiwan, asked why I don't write about good Chinese recipes. A fair enough question... The truth? I don't know any.

I mean, I make a killer Fragrant Crispy Duck and a passable Peking Duck - but that's pretty much the extent of my repertoire. Anything else I try just ends up being a generic stir fry... and you don't need me to tell you how to do that.

And... since I'm being perfectly honest,  if I want Mu Shu Pork or Mongolian Beef - I'm going to go someplace that knows how to make it right, and not waste the fifteen bucks in groceries to make an inedible copy. I'm all for Cooking the World, but sometimes you just have to admit someone does  something better than you... and besides, I love those little white boxes.

But Sung's question stuck with me, and while I've been recuperating from last week's wedding I thought I'd relax by putting my spin on a Take Out Classic.... Chicken with Snow Peas - and see if I could make something as good (if not better) than a Column B special.
 (You'll have to get your own egg-roll.)

Chicken With Snow Peas
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 Cup Skinless Chicken Breast - Cut into 1/4" Medallions (About 2 Good-sized Chicken tenders will do the trick)
1 Cup Snow Peas
1/2 White Onion - Sliced
1/4 Cup Water Chestnuts - Sliced
1 Scallion - Cut into rings
1/2 Cup Cooking Oil
Marinade:
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Tequila
1 Teaspoon Rice Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
2 Teaspoons Tapioca Starch
Sauce:
1/2 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Tequila
1 Teaspoon Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Clove Garlic - Minced
1/2 Teaspoon Grated Ginger
2 Teaspoons Tapioca Starch
Other Tools:
Wok
Slotted Spoon
Whisk
2 Small Bowls

• Cut the chicken into medallions
• Prepare the marinade in one of the bowls and whisk well
• Add the chicken, cover and let sit for 30 minutes
• Prepare the sauce - add all the sauce ingredients to the other bowl - whisk well and set aside

• Prepare the Vegetables - String the peas, slice the onion into 1/4" slices, slice the chestnuts and scallion
• Heat to wok and oil on high until very hot and add the chicken - Move the chicken about in the oil constantly to prevent from sticking - Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through. You don't want the meat to brown.
• Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside

• Discard all but 2 tablespoons of oil and return the wok to the cook-top
• Add the peas, onion and chestnuts and saute until the pods are bright green and the onions begin to loosen (about 3 minutes)
• Whisk the sauce once again to suspend all the starch and pour into the middle of the hot pan
• Turn and coat the vegetables until the sauce begins to thicken, then add the chicken back to the wok
• Mix the ingredients to coat well and remove from the heat.
• Serve with a big bowl of steamed white rice

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