LENTIL
AND ROASTED GARLIC SOUP
Lentil
soup was one of my childhood staples and I used to love it, thick,
warming and satisfying. This version has the addition of roasted garlic
which gives a lovely background hint of smoky garlic without any of that
potent aftertaste of the raw variety. Don't feel you have to put on your
oven especially to roast 4 or 5 cloves of garlic; however: Islip them in
to roast after I have made a cake for tea or cooked lasagne for supper.
We are not known as thrifty for nothing in Scotland. Once the roasted
garlic flesh has been squeezed out, it can be covered and refrigerated
for 2-3 days before being used in the soup. Although this is wonderful
served just as it is, a garnish of some chunks of hot-smoked trout and a
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil makes it even more delicious.
4
fat garlic cloves, unpeeled
25
g/1 oz butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
350 g/12 oz red lentils, rinsed
1 bay leaf
1.5
litres/2 ¾ pints hot chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
(Serves
4-6)
Preheat
the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4.
Place
the garlic cloves in a small oven dish and roast them in the preheated
oven for about 20 minutes or until soft. Remove then when cool enough to
handle, snip open the end and squeeze out the contents into a small bowl.
Set aside.
Heat
the butter and oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and celery
for 10 minutes or so, then stir in the roasted garlic and lentils. Stir
well to coat in the fat, then add the bay leaf and hot stock. Bring to the
boil, season well with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer for about 25
minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Remove the bay leaf.
Liquidise
the soup in batches, returning it to a clean pan, check the seasoning and
serve piping hot.
PARSNIP
AND CUMIN SOUP WITH SMOKIES
The
combination of parsnips and Arbroath smokies is, quite simply, divine.
It must be something to do with the smokiness of the fish and the
inherent sweetness of the parsnips that combine to make the most
delicious, warming winter soup imaginable. Too thick and bitty for a
thermos flask but delicious in a bowl with a spoon - and some chewy
sourdough bread.
2
tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 kg/2 ¼ lb parsnips, peeled and chopped
1.2 litres/2 pints hot chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50 ml/2 fl oz Noilly Prat or another dry Vermouth
2 small Arbroath smokies
extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, optional
(Serves
6)
Heat
the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion, garlic and celery for
about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for half a minute, stirring.
Add
the parsnips to the pan, stirring to coat the chunks in the oil. Cook for
about 5 minutes, then add the hot stock and some salt and pepper and bring
to the boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes or
until the vegetables are tender.
In batches, tip the contents of the pan
into a liquidizer or blender with the Noilly Prat, and purée until smooth;
check the seasoning.
Since the Arbroath smokies are hot smoked, they can
be eaten without any further cooking. The easiest way to remove the flesh
from the smokies is to warm them slightly first; either do this in a
microwave for a couple of minutes, or in a low oven, loosely wrapped in
foil, for about 10 minutes. Then lay the fish on a board skin-side down,
and press your thumb along the length of the bone. It should come away
easily in your hand and then the flesh can be flaked.
To
serve, ladle the soup into bowls, top with some flakes of smokies, drizzle
with the oil and sprinkle with parsley if using.
AVOCADO
COCK-A-LEEKIE
This
makes a quick and simple alternative to Scotland's great cock-a-leekie
soup which is classically flavoured with prunes.
25
g/1oz butter
1
large chicken breast, skinned, boned and cut into strips
salt
and freshly ground black pepper
250
g /9 oz young leeks, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced
850
ml/1 ½ pints hot chicken stock
1
large ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
1
tablespoon freshly chopped coriander
(Serves
4)
Melt
the butter in a saucepan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then
gently fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Gently
sauté the leeks for 3-4 minutes until tender, then add the hot stock and
heat until just below boiling point. Check the seasoning,
To
serve, place 2-3 avocado slices in each warmed soup bowl, top with some
chicken strips and ladle in the leek soup. Sprinkle with the coriander and
serve at once.
WINTER
PEA, HAM AND MUSTARD SOUP
This
is a wonderfully warming wintry soup, at once thick and comforting. The
original idea comes from the time I spent in the north of Finland where,
every Thursday, the Finns eat thick pea and mustard soup and pancakes
(oven-baked pancake, rather like a sweet Yorkshire pudding) for lunch.
This soup, with only four ingredients, couldn't be simpler yet it is
absolutely delicious on a cold winter day. Ask your butcher whether the
ham hock requires overnight soaking - some are saltier than others; if
in doubt, soak for several hours in cold water.
350
g/12 oz dried green split peas
1
ham hock
1
large onion, peeled and chopped
2
tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
(Serves
5-6)
Soak
the peas overnight.
Rinse the peas and place them in a large saucepan with
the ham hock, onion and mustard. Pour in 1 litre/1 ¾ pints boiling water
and plenty of pepper. Cover and bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer
and cook for about 50 minutes.
Remove the ham from the pan and drain over
a sieve. Once cool enough to handle, cut off chunks of the meat with a
sharp knife, and reserve.
Whiz
the soup with a hand-held blender (or liquidizer) and add salt to taste.
Add the chunks of ham to the soup and reheat gently. Serve in warm bowls
with an extra dollop of mustard if you like.
GAIROCH
BAY CHOWDER WITH OATCAKES
Alastair
Pearson, proprietor of The Old Inn at Gairloch in the north-west of
Scotland, has given me this wonderful recipe which is very popular with
guests. The entrie emphasis of food at The Old Inn is on fish and game,
which makes enormous sense since it nestles at the foot of the Flowerdale
Glen, home of the Mackenzie clan, and sits adjacent to Gairloch harbour.
His local butcher supplies wild venison from the nearby hills and glens,
and local seafood is available in season.
Although
many tourists traveling to the north-west expect an abundance of local
seafood in menus, sadly this is not often the case since much of it is
contracted to continental markets where it is fully appreciated. Slowly
things are improving but it is wonderful to have such unpretentious and
inexpensive beacons of culinary excellence as The Old Inn at Gairloch
where the importance of sourcing locally is paramount.
This chowder varies
according to which seafood is in season but this is a rough guide. It is
served at The Old Inn with home-made oatcakes crumbled over the top.
500
g/1 lb 2 oz mussels
3
large potatoes
salt
and freshly ground black pepper
1
small leek, cleaned and finely chopped
1
large onion, peeled and finely chopped
25
g/1 oz butter (or bacon fat)
600
ml/1 pint milk
2
bay leaves
600
ml/20 fl oz fish stock
500
g/1 lb 2 oz fillets of pollock or ling, cut into chunks
150
ml/5 fl oz double cream
oatcakes
1
tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
(Serves
4)
Scrub
the mussels well, discarding any open ones that don’t close when tapped
on a work surface.
Peel
the potatoes: chop one into chunks and put on to boil in salted water.
Dice the other two. Then sweat the leek, onion and potatoes in the butter
or bacon fat for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile,
warm the milk with the bay leaves, then add to the pan with the fish
stock. Add the mussels, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 3
minutes or until the mussels are opened. Remove the mussels and take the
meat out of the shells. Set aside, discarding any that have remained
closed.
Mash
the (third) boiled potato and add it, with the fish fillets and the double
cream, to the milk and stock mixture. Bring to a simmer, stir, then cook
gently for about 3 minutes or until the fish is just cooked. Return the
mussel meat to the pan and check the seasoning. Serve in warm bowls with
broken-up pieces of oatcakes sprinkle over the top. Top with the parsley
and serve at once.
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