Читать книгу Vegetables - Sophie Grigson, Sophie Grigson - Страница 36

Many moons ago, sometime in the 1970s, my mother, the food writer Jane Grigson, came up with a great idea – curried parsnip soup. It’s an idea that has gone mainstream, with variations and personalisations aplenty. This is my homage to her brilliant and innovative concept. As with her original, the wonderful sweetness of parsnip is balanced and beautified by the use of spices – this time round it’s ginger and lemongrass, aided by frisky doses of lime and fish sauce.

Serves 3–4

2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and chopped

500g (1 lb 2oz) parsnips, peeled, roughly cut up and cored if necessary

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2.5cm (1in) piece fresh root ginger or galangal, peeled and chopped

2 stems lemongrass

300–450ml (10–15floz) vegetable or chicken stock

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 × 400ml can coconut milk

juice of 1 lime

a handful of coriander leaves

a handful of Thai or Mediterranean basil leaves

a handful of mint

Put the oil, chillies, parsnips, onion, garlic and ginger (or galangal) into a fairly large pan. Cut off and discard the top of each stem of lemongrass, leaving the lower, fatter 10cm (4in) or so. Using either a meat mallet, the end of a rolling pin or the flat of a wide-bladed knife (press down on it firmly with your fist), semi-flatten the lemongrass stems so that they stay more or less in one piece, but are sufficiently damaged to release their extraordinary flavour. Add them to the pan. Give the contents a quick stir, then cover and place over a gentle heat. Leave to sweat gently, checking once, for about 10 minutes.

Now add the lower quantity of stock and the fish sauce. Bring up to the boil, then simmer quietly, uncovered, for 10–15 minutes until the parsnip is very tender. Fish out the lemongrass and stir in the coconut milk, then liquidise the soup, adding some or all of the remaining stock if you find the soup too thick.

When nearly ready to eat, reheat the soup. Stir in the lime juice, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more fish sauce if it tastes under-salted. Mix the fresh herbs together, roughly tearing up larger leaves of basil or mint. As you serve the hot soup, top each bowlful with a small mound of fresh herbs.