Eclair commonly called Air cakes of choux pastry with cream or custard. Few people know that French cuisine is presented to the world as soup eclair, so named for the speed cooking. In French "eclair" means "lightning", and indeed, the dish is cooked very quickly, almost immediately.

Unknown eclair

Soup eclair unlike the eponymous cake can boast an ancient history. Even the most meticulous historians cooking could not yet find any information about the origin of this dish. History has not preserved the name of the inventor or dishes, or even approximate the time of appearance of soup eclair.

French has always been famous for its soups. Some first courses came to the haute cuisine of the people - such as the famous onion soup. Other foods, such as soup julienne Julien: gourmet hot appetizer , It was designed for the aristocracy, and only later became available to everyone. As for the "lightning soup", it is difficult to assume he first came to light in the palace kitchen or the poor man's hut. The ingredients that are used for cooking soup, accessible, perhaps, to everyone.

One can endlessly speculate how it was invented by the original soup recipe. Perhaps the cook was going to make an omelet, but mistakenly poured the beaten eggs into the pan with the broth. Perhaps the dish was invented driven to despair the mother of the family, is trying to prepare a hearty meal of a pair of eggs Chicken eggs: a universal and irreplaceable product   and a handful of vermicelli. But regardless of how it was invented soup, it remains one of the most simple, fast, easy and delicious French cuisine.

As easy as pie

It is believed that French cuisine is extremely difficult to prepare. And when it comes, for example, on the souffle, it is true: it is required to measure accurately the amount of all the ingredients and seasonings to choose carefully observe the cooking technology. A description of the preparation of some French pastries sometimes takes several pages.

Soup eclair - exception to this rule. In his preparation to handle even elementary school student. There is no need to use many expensive components do not need to perform any complicated operations. To prepare the soup will require products which are in every home.

The simplest option

So, what is a basic soup recipe Eclair? To prepare the "lightning soup" need to take water, salt, eggs, milk, pasta and greens. Water is poured into a pan and bring it to a boil. Then in a saucepan sent a couple of handfuls of fine vermicelli. While the pasta is cooked, you need to finely chop the green beam (fit parsley, dill, basil or a mixture of different kinds of herbs). Eggs at this time whipped with milk for cooking omelet - on a cup of milk is enough to take two large eggs.

When the pasta is almost ready, the egg mixture in a thin stream flows into the boiling soup. It should be vigorously stir the contents of the saucepan. On contact with hot liquid eggs certainly rolled and turned into flakes. The size and shape of the flakes will depend on how stirred soup. If the movements are active, egg mixture will curdle in the form of long filaments. If you stir the soup slightly, flakes are obtained by large, bizarre, egg with a distinct flavor.

Once the eggs are rolled, the soup can be removed from the heat and fill the greens. Now we have expanded meal on plates and serve: Cooking soup eclair took less than fifteen minutes.

Improving fundamentals

The basic recipe is good because it can be infinitely complicate achieving the perfect taste. Of course, the more complicated the formulation, the longer it takes to cook the soup. But even the most difficult variation soup eclair still preparing much faster than the traditional first courses, especially if the necessary ingredients to prepare in advance.

The easiest way to make soup more hearty, nutritious and delicious - not to cook it on the water and broth: beef, chicken or mushroom. Given that the stock is usually cooked at least an hour, such a change in the formulation instantly displays soup eclair from the category of "fast" food. However, you can use frozen broth.

Freeze the broth - generally very friendly reception. Suffice it once to cook a large pot of this soup, pour into a suitable container and put in freezer to later be able to cook soup in minutes. But if frozen broth is not - does not matter. Ready to come to the aid of concentrates. In the most extreme case, you can use a bouillon cube.

Other variations

In preparing the soup can experiment with not only the foundation, but also with fillers - noodles or egg mixture. For example, instead of noodles can be used any fine paste, including domestic, including prepared from different types of flour. Let's say, a very original taste will have a soup with buckwheat noodles or vermicelli bright yellow cornmeal. Pasta can be cooked in advance, freeze and use for filling soups.

For the preparation of the egg mixture instead of whole eggs you can only use the yolks - this will provide an interesting new taste. Another option - to replace the milk sour cream Smetana: untold riches of Russian cuisine . You can do without milk, one beaten eggs. The taste of the egg mixture can elevate any seasonings to your taste, fresh or dried herbs and even dried vegetables - such as onion powder.

Vegetables also improve the taste of the broth. For example, the soup will look very attractive if you add a chip carrots, green onions feathers or small pieces of sweet pepper. All of these supplements will help stop the simplest soup Eclair in elegant, almost festive dish.

Maria Bykov

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