Tags
appetiser, appetizer, bacon, cauliflower, comfort food, Soup, starter
I recently made this soup for a weeknight dinner for Stuart and myself and posted a photo on my Instagram and Facebook pages. By the following morning, I was inundated with requests for the recipe and thus begins my return to blogging. It is so easy to make but looks like you spent hours slaving over a hot stove. Perfect starter to a fancy meal or just dinner for two with some crusty bread. Prep takes about 20 minutes and cooking time 40 minutes.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
6 slices bacon
400g/14oz potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large cauliflower, broken into florets
1 branch of celery, sliced thinly
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 leek, white part only, cut into thin slices
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Parsley
1 bay leaf
80g/3oz freshly grated parmesan
3 tablespoons thick crème fraîche
1,5L/3 pints chicken stock
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 pinches nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat
Add the celery, onion, leek and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, do not let it colour
Add the potatoes, 3/4 of the cauliflower, stock, bay leaf and nutmeg
Bring to the boil, lower heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes until veggies cooked
Remove the bay leaf
Add the crème fraîche and parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste and keep warm
Place the remaining 1/4 cauliflower on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Roast for 15 minutes
Add the bacon, cut into small pieces, to the hot baking sheet and return all to the oven for 5 minutes
Using a stick blender, purée the soup for a few minutes
Pour the soup into preheated soup bowls, add a few pieces of roasted cauliflower and some crispy bacon to each bowl
Add parmesan, sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with olive oil
Bon appétit !
This is one of those recipes that never fails to impress guests and draws oohs and aahs each time I make it. Yet, it is, as are all my recipes, very easy to put together. It consists of a chestnut and foie gras purée (very thick soup) as the base topped with a creamy whipped cream topping as the foam and a few bits on top for texture and visual appeal. The foie gras makes it extra special but if you do not like foie gras then feel free to leave it out. You could then add bacon pieces as a topping instead or if you wanted a vegetarian version, simply substitute some same dices of your favourite vegetable.
A traditional French dish, oeufs en cocotte (or coddled eggs) makes for an elegant and nourishing breakfast, brunch, lunch or starter. Oeuf cocotte is made by cooking an egg in a ramekin, along with other ingredients — usually ham and crème fraîche or heavy cream, with an optional topping of grated cheese. But where does the name originate? “Cocotte” is a cute word for a hen, and is also an old-fashioned endearing – or condescending, depending on the tone – term for a girl. However another explanation: You probably know that in French, a cocotte is an oval or round casserole with a lid and two hand grips on each side used for stewing or boiling. The reason why we call this egg dish an “oeuf en cocotte” is because the eggs — gently broken in the cup — are cooked in a small cocotte; nowadays a glass or ceramic ramekin is more often used. But I generally use glass because I like the idea of seeing the food.