tamarind duck soup

2020-12-13

Tamarind is the bean-like fruit from the Central American tamarindo tree. It can be prepared from scratch, but the beans are quite pricey in the US and it's a chore to prepare it.

Tamarind is available as a puree concentrate, as an apple-dip paste and as an Indonesian instant-soup package. My favorite is the candy-apple paste. It keeps forever and is easy to measure to taste.

processed tamarind:

Pic1: puree
Pic2: paste
Pic3: instant soup

The puree can be purchased online.
The apple-dip paste is my preferred and available at our local Peppers grocery store.
There's also a not-so-hot variety.
Be very careful with the instant soup, it's mostly citric acid, extremely sour and no tamarind flavor that I can discern. Use carefully to taste. A quarter of the package is probably more than enough.
Of course, I keep forgetting and dump the entire package, and then have to dilute the soup. :-(

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 servings:

3-6 cups duck soup
tamarind product of your choice

Pic4: tamarindo duck soup

Directions

Pic5: duck soup, simmering with tamarindo paste
Pic6: served
Pic7: with cream

(Re-)heat the duck soup.
Add tamarind product by the teaspoon, allow to dissolve and taste before adding more.
Simmer 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy.
Warning:
- Duck soup is sweet. All tamarind products are acidic.
  Sweet & sour is only a nice combination as long as you don't overdo it!
- the acidity can cause cream to curdle aka 'break.' (Pic7)

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org