This winter I was lucky enough to spend five days in the Marais in Paris. I made my way from one cafe to another enjoying the coffee, the wine, the beer and of course, the food. It was cold but still warm enough to eat outside with heaters blasting. I desperately wanted soup but in France one gets what's on offer - no special requests. Luckily we found a corner bistro that had "potage". When I asked what was in it, they answered "soup".
We were with an old friend who lives in Paris and she said that it would be just fine. So I ordered it and Zoe our friend, said she would share it if it was too "local" for me. It came to the table in a simple bowl. White soup with brown flecks. The white turned out to be parsnip and the flecks turned out to be hazelnuts. It was very satisfying but a little thin. I thought I could do better at home.
However...
The Shuk has amazing produce all year round. Almost anything you can think of, except parsnips and rutabagas. Too northern, too cold weather - I don't know but they are not available. Never seen a rutabaga and only very rarely seen the saddest parsnips. Tiny little white roots with huge green tops. But suddenly in the middle of January, there they were. Beautiful white parsnips with shiny healthy skins. I bought a few and tried them out in the vegetable purée for Ken's Birthday meal . Nice and tender with no woody core.
And then I saw them again in a huge pile in a tiny little stall in one of the alleys off of Rehov HaCarmel, the main street. I bought a bushel. Actually only a kilo that netted me 800 grams of usable produce.
I wanted to best the bistro in Paris. Not sure I did, but I am really happy with the result.
BT's Creamy Parsnip Soup
Ingredients:
About 2 pounds (800 grams) young parsnips
1 large shallot
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 chili - chopped, with seeds and veins
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons ghee (vegetable oil, coconut oil) a
1 medium potato, peeled
2 tablespoons Pisco (optional)
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon dried lovage (or parsley, oregano, thyme)
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
6 cups (1.5 l) filtered water
1/2 cup (125 ml) cooking cream (optional)
For garnish:
1 grated mace
3 grated roasted hazelnuts
Directions:
Peel parsnips. If the core is woody, remove
Add parsnips to acidulated water to prevent browning
Peel potato and add to parsnips
Add ghee to heavy gauge cocotte and place over medium flame
When ghee has melted and begins to bubble, add mustard seeds and chili
Sauté 1 minute
Peel garlic, dice shallot and onions and add to pot
Sprinkle with white pepper and a half of salt
Sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally
Add lovage and Pesco, if using and cook 1 minute
Add water
Rough chop parsnips and potato and add to pot
Add bay leaf
Bring soup up boil
When boiling cover and reduce heat to medium low
Cook for 20 - 25 minutes or until vegetables are very tender
Remove from heat
Discard bay leaf
Purée soup with wand blender
Add remainder of salt
Add cream, if using
Pan roast 4 or 6 hazelnuts
Serve soup with grated mace and grated nuts
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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