Tag Archives: vegetarian

Potato, Leek & Nettle Soup


POTATO, LEEK & NETTLE SOUP

This winter has been very very wet. My wife and I have a big announcement that we are having a baby boy in December! She has had a big craving of potato and leek soup thanks to having it at one of our favorite restaurants in Perth Bistro des Artistes. This blog post will have two recipes, one for the potato and leek which was for my pregnant wife and the other with the stinging nettles which was for me. I have always wanted to cook with nettles and I managed to come across a post by Macabee Dorper Lamb offering to sell their unique ingredient. There is only one disclaimer, make sure you use gloves to handle the nettles and you can steam or blanch (which is what I did) to take the sting away.

photo (1)

INGREDIENTS

POTATO & LEEK SOUP

  • 50g Unsalted Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1kg Potatoes, Peeled, Cut into 1cm Cubes
  • 1 leek, Cut in Half, Washed Well, Finely Sliced
  • 1 Brown Onion, Peeled, Finely Chopped
  • 5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1L Chicken Stock
  • Sea Salt and Ground White Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Flat-Leaf Parsley, Finely Shredded, For Garnish

POTATO LEEK & NETTLE SOUP

  • Large Bunch of Stinging Nettles

photo

METHOD

1. To remove the sting from the nettles, blanch them in boiling water with a little bit of salt for about 5 minutes. You will need to wear gloves when harvesting and handling them before putting into the boiling water. Strain, leave to cool and squeeze as much water as you can out of them.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the potatoes, leek, onion and garlic and cook on a low heat, stirring frequently until the leeks have softened.

3. Pour in the stock and simmer covered, for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. At this point if you have nettles tip them into the soup. Purée the soup with a hand blender until smooth. Season to taste. You can add more chicken stock at this point  to get the right consistency of soup you desire.

4. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with parsley and, if desired and being truffle season when I made this grated truffle. Serve with a slice of toasted crusty bread.

photo (2)

You can contact the lovely people down at Macabee through their Facebook and arrange for pickup at the Subiaco Farmers Market.

Potage de Tomate Reconstruit


RECONSTRUCTED TOMATO SOUP

So, the next step in my molecular journey is reconstructed tomato soup, tomato spaghetti or gelification. If you explore their website (link below) it takes you to some pretty amazing and very easy and very difficult videos on how to make molecular food. I’m starting out easy and eventually when I have the equipment (which for me is only 3 items away) I will start to take on the more difficult and daring recipes, maybe EVEN some requests if people have any.

Tomato Soup 2

Tomato soup 1

INGREDIENTS

– 1 1/2 Cup of Water

– Half a Leek

– 1 Carrot

– 6 Cherry Tomatoes

– 1 Tbsp Each of Fresh Basil, Chives and Parsley

– 1 Clove of Garlic

– 1 Cube of Chicken Stock (Vegetable Stock is Fine)

– 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

– Salt and Pepper to Taste

– 2g Agar-Agar (Specialty Ingredient)

– 1 Syringe and Clear Tube

METHOD

Combine the water, leek, carrot, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, stock, tomato paste, salt and pepper into a small saucepan, stir, bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for twenty minutes. Once complete, pour the contents into a blender and blitz until it resembles a soup like consistency.

Cover the saucepan with cheesecloth, pour the contents in from the blender and strain as much as liquid out as you can (This takes time!). Once you have the strained liquid, pour in the agar-agar and whilst stirring, bring back to the boil. Once Boiled, pour into a heat proof bowl and prepare an ice bath in another bowl.

Once you have the two ready, you will need to suck the soup into the syringe. Connect the clear tube (all shown in the video in the link below) and plunge, filling the tube full of soup. Once full, submerge into the ice bath for three minutes. place tube back onto syringe full of air and plunge the syringe pushing the now spaghetti like soup onto a clean plate. Arrange however you like and garnish with a cherry tomato, shaves of parmesan cheese and a few drops of quality olive oil.

Full credit to the guys at MOLECULE-R Flavors on the Web and Youtube.

Link to video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDSvaCkGivE

Specialty ingredient:

Agar-Agar can be obtained at most supermarkets in the Oriental section, at any Oriental Deli or the website below

http://www.redspooncompany.com/index.php/ingredients/modernist-cuisine.html