Читать книгу The First-Time Cook - Sophie Grigson, Sophie Grigson - Страница 38

This yummy, comforting soup can be served as a first course, or in larger quantities whenever you are need of a bit of inner warmth. I love it with a touch of cheese and some crisp, salty bacon bits stirred in, but neither is utterly essential. You might just want to scatter over a few chopped chives instead, or spoon on some nuggets of golden-fried chopped garlic and chilli with a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4–6

BASE INGREDIENTS

1 onion, peeled and chopped

30g (1oz) butter

AROMATICS

1 bouquet garni (2 strips lemon zest, 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig thyme)

MAIN INGREDIENTS

leaves of 1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped

1kg (21/4lb) potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced

1 whole garlic bulb, separated into cloves, peeled

LIQUID

1.2 litres (2 pints) Vegetable or Chicken Stock (see pages 15–17)

300ml (10fl oz) milk

SEASONINGS

salt and pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 lemon

DRESSING UP (OPTIONAL)

a handful of grated Gruyère cheese

4–6 rashers streaky bacon, cooked until crisp (see right), and crumbled

1 Follow the basic method opposite, adding the stock only, plus salt, pepper and nutmeg at stage 2. When liquidised, stir in the milk, and add a squeeze or two of lemon juice (this highlights flavours, but shouldn’t be so much that the soup tastes lemony).

2 Reheat, and serve with the cheese and bacon if you wish.