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- From: mgh@mtuni (Marcus G Hand)
- Newsgroups: mod.recipes
- Subject: RECIPE: watercress soup
- Date: 27 Dec 85 09:59:33 GMT
- Organization: AT&T Information Systems, Holmdel NJ
- Approved: reid@glacier.ARPA
-
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-
- .RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE WATERCRESSSOUP SPV "9 Dec 85" 1986
- .RZ "WATERCRESS SOUP" "Watercress soup, hot or cold"
- This thick, creamy soup is equally good whether served hot or cold.
- I have had watercress soup in restaurants,
- and my mother sometimes makes it, too,
- but this recipe is my own interpretation of the idea.
- .IH "Serves 4"
- .IG "1 bunch" "watercress"
- .IG "1/2" "onion"
- (medium sized, coarsely chopped.)
- .IG "1" "potato"
- (medium sized, roughly diced.)
- .IG "1/2 clove" garlic
- (chopped)
- .IG "1/2 oz" "butter" "15 ml"
- (or your favourite oil or margarine)
- .IG "3 cups" "water" "750 ml"
- .IG "1 Tbsp" "heavy cream" "15 ml"
- (Whipping cream is roughly the same thing)
- .IG "1 oz" "black caviar" "30 g"
- (lump fish roe is fine.)
- .IG "4" "water biscuits"
- (bite size)
- .IG "pinch" "salt and pepper"
- (to taste)
- .PH
- .SK 1
- Gently fry onion and garlic in a small amount of butter until transparent.
- .SK 2
- Season lightly with salt and pepper,
- and add water and potato and boil until soft.
- .SK 3
- Pick over watercress and chop 4 or five sprigs and set them aside.
- Pur\z\(aae the onion mixture in a blender.
- Add most of watercress, blend, re-season to taste and return to heat.
- .SK 4
- Bring mixture to boil and simmer for 2 or three minutes.
- Stir gently to prevent soup from sticking to bottom.
- Remove from heat.
- .PP
- This is the decision point.
- Either set aside to cool, then chill,
- or carry on to serve the soup hot.
- .SK 5
- Stir in cream and chopped watercress.
- Heap a teaspoon of caviar on each of the water biscuits and
- float one on each bowl of soup immediately prior to serving.
- .NX
- Use the minimum amount of butter, oil, or margarine
- that will turn the onion transparent.
- Those who are particularly diet-conscious could dispense with
- this step, and with the cream.
- Don't overdo the garlic,
- 1/2 a small clove is ample since it is a background
- flavour, not one that you should be aware of.
- .PP
- A caution regarding seasoning.
- Potatoes absorb a lot of salt so you may find it undersalted.
- The caviar on the other hand,
- is very salty.
- This, for me,
- is a delightful and important contrast.
- Guests can always add extra salt if they choose.
- .PP
- Water biscuits are made by Carr's, amongst others, and can be found
- in most supermarkets,
- possibly in the gourmet food section.
- They are variously known as water biscuits, water crackers
- and table water crackers.
- To my mind the best for eating with cheese are the high-bake
- ones, but the regular type are better for this recipe.
- If you can't find them, then any round dry bland low-salt cracker will do.
- .PP
- A
- .AB "2 oz" "60 g"
- jar of lumpfish caviar costs a little under $3.00,
- but it does keep in the fridge so you can get two batches of four
- servings from one jar.
- I suppose if budget is a prime consideration one could dispense with the
- caviar, too, but that would be like serving a martini without the olives.
- .SH RATING
- .I Difficulty:
- easy to moderate.
- .I Time:
- 20 minutes of preparation, 1/2 hour of simmering.
- .I Precision:
- Approximate measurement OK.
- .WR
- Marcus G Hand.
- AT&T Information Systems, Holmdel NJ
- ihnp4!mtunh!mgh
-