Bellevue Broth...a five star first course treat

Bellevue Broth from the catering families of Philadelphia

The broth

The dollop 

The immersion

If you haven't watched the Netflix series High on the Hog it's time to sit down and binge. The food elevates the senses and the backstories reach deep into the soul. The entire four-part series will leave you wanting more.  

High on the Hog features stories about African American cuisine and how these dishes came to be. For me, part of the joy of cooking is trying something new.

Much of my knowledge of cooking has deep southern roots. My grandma was an excellent cook, and many of her dishes have been passed down to my mom, aunts, cousins, and me. 

That said, I try to put my own spin on many of the generational recipes. It's more fun and hopefully, healthier. 

Bellevue broth is an absolute delight to the palate. I had my husband give it a try and he said it's so good, it tastes like the first course from a five-star restaurant. I have to agree. 

I don't have the complete recipe from the show. I listened carefully and have my way of preparing the shellfish stock and a quick and easy way to nip the chicken stock in the bud. 

My recipe for the shellfish stock

Bellevue Broth is part shellfish stock and chicken stock. To begin, I didn't make the chicken stock. I bought the Knorr chicken bouillon cubes and followed the directions. I did make the shellfish stock from scratch using my recipe. 

Shellfish stock:
Leftover shells from cooked shrimp, crab, King crab legs, etc. Since I knew I was going to make this broth, I took home my leftover King crab leg shells from a local restaurant, placed them in a baggy, and stuck them in the freezer. Once I decided to make the broth, I took the shells out of the freezer, beat them with a rolling pin, and they were ready to go. 
Ingredients:
1/2 pound shells (or pound if you want to double the recipe).
1/2 yellow onion
Carrot
Celery
2 cloves of garlic
2 T. olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
Lemon squeeze
Five cups water
I large stockpot, add your olive oil, shells, carrot, celery, and onion. Sauté for 15 minutes or until turning brown. Add the garlic for a two-minute sauté. Add your squeeze of lemon to get the brown bits off the pan. Pour in the water. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Strain the broth using a cheesecloth and throw away the veggies and shells. 

Knorr Chicken Bouillon: I made three cups by following directions

Whipping Cream: Buy heavy whipping cream, whip it. Add a pinch of salt while whipping. 

The assembly of Bellevue Broth. It's a one to two ratio. One part shellfish stock to two parts chicken broth. Mix these together. Add a dollop of whipped cream just before serving and top with a bit of parsley. 

Incredibly delicious. Quick and Easy (be sure to bring home your shellfish shells from the local restaurant...or make your own). You'll believe you've died and gone to heaven. If you enjoy learning about different cultures and how food originated, you'll love the Netflix series, "High on the Hog."