“A handful of noodles per person”, a phrase repeated by thousands of mothers and grandmothers throughout the country, causes frustration to the most novices in the kitchen when faced with a soup. What kind of inaccurate measurement is that? What size hand are we talking about? And how full should that fist be? Thin or fat noodle? Do not panic, Karlos Arguiñano He has a method to always get it right.
The difficulty of finding the exact amount of pasta to add to the pot lies in several factors. First of all, the recipe itself, since a simple noodle and broth soup is not the same as another with some more ingredient that contributes. chicha and substance. And we always talk about soups-soups, no soupy noodles, which are not the same. Remember that the paste reduces the amount of liquid and that this evaporates during cooking is another kitchen staple.
Furthermore, the size of the pasta format implies a greater or lesser absorption of the broth, and not everyone has the same preferences regarding its final texture. Arguiñano himself tells in his program that in his house there are tastes for everything; He likes the soup clear, but the family prefers it thicker.
The solution to avoid complications is to take into account the exact same weight of pasta per person in a basic seafood soup such as noodle and shrimp soup, or a noodle and clam casserole. It doesn’t matter if it is capellin noodlethe thinnest and the chef’s usual preference, or medium thickness: Arguiñano uses 20 g of noodles per person.
In this way we have the same amount of final pasta regardless of the size of the pasta; If we measure it by volume, like the typical handful, we can make mistakes and miscalculate. He weight He never deceives.
Thus, for a recipe for four people we will need 80 g of raw noodles, although the usual thing is add one more portion to the pot, using a total of 100 g. This allows us to be more generous, in case someone wants to repeat or there are diners with a bigger appetite than others, which is usually the case. An adult does not eat the same as a child or an older person, for example.
Whoever likes the soupiest soup has only serve first collecting a good amount of liquid, leaving the thicker texture in the pot for the others. As Arguiñano does in his own house.
WMF Diadem Plus – Low Pot 24 cm, Cromargan 18/10 Polished Stainless Steel
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