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Soups: Bucktown Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions, in all
1½ cups chopped celery, in all
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
¼-inch cubes, about 2 large (1 pound each),
in all
4½ cups fish stock, preferably, or chicken
stock, in all
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice,
about 1 medium lime
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces good quality smoked fish fillets,
such as trout, mackerel or salmon, cut into
1-inch pieces
Seasoning Mix:
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Chef Paul Prudhomme's
Seafood Magic
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
Directions:
Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in
a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a heavy 3-quart pot over
high heat just until the oil begins to smoke,
about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of the onions,
1 cup of the celery, 1 cup of the sweet potatoes,
and 2 cups of the stock. Stir well, then
cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the
cover, stir well, and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and the seasoning mix
and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the
remaining onions and celery, re-cover, and
cook for 2 more minutes. Add ½ cup stock
and the remaining sweet potatoes. Stir well,
then re-cover and cook for 2 more minutes.
Uncover and stir well, then re-cover and
cook for 2 more minutes. An immediate saltiness
rises above a very subdued middle taste,
led by a sweet, boiled onion flavor. The
final taste fades in the mouth.
Uncover and stir in the flour, then stir
constantly until the white is no longer visible.
Stir in 1 cup of the stock, then re-cover
and cook for 4 more minutes. Uncover, stir
in the remaining stock and the lime juice,
then re-cover and cook for 3 minutes. Now
notice the very unusual taste produced by
the combination of lime juice, cream and
the natural sweetness of the vegetables.
For a brief moment, the flavor suggests a
lime dessert, then the taste changes to an
herbal creaminess. Uncover, add the cream
and the smoked fish, stir gently but well,
then re-cover and cook for 4 more minutes.
Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat
to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve hot with plenty of dark bread.
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