Asparagus Veloute Velvet Soup Hot Or Cold Food

ASPARAGUS VELOUTé

Steps:

• 1. Wash the asparagus. Cut 2 inches (5 cm.) off the tips and save them for another use. Do not peel the stalks but cut them into 15-inch (3-cm.) pieces.
• 2. Bring the stock or broth to a boil in a soup pot. When it bubbles, add the asparagus pieces and sugar. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• 3. Blend and pass through a fine strainer (a chinois if possible), pressing on the solids with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Put the soup back in the pot, bring back to a boil, and boil about 30 minutes more.
• 4. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch in a bowl with 1 tablespoon cold water. Beat the yolk and cream together in a bowl large enough to hold all the soup.
• 5. When the soup in the pot has been reduced by about half, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly, and then gently pour everything into the bowl with the egg-cream mixture, whisking as you pour.
• 6. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the soup pot and heat very gently in order to thicken. Stir with a spatula and turn off the heat at the first sign of boiling. Blend. Season with salt as necessary.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP (CRèME D'ASPERGES)

Steps:

• Cut tips from 12 asparagus 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.
• Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.
• Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan until foaming. Fry the asparagus tips for a few mins to soften. Remove and set aside.
• Add the shallots, asparagus stalks and garlic, and cook for 5-10 mins until softened but still bright. Stir through the spinach, pour over the stock, bring to the boil, then blitz with a hand blender.
• Season generously and add hot water to loosen if needed. Ladle into bowls and scatter the asparagus tips over each. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with sourdough bread, if you like.

CHILLED ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Cut asparagus into 1-in. pieces; set tips aside. Place the remaining asparagus in a saucepan; add broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes. Cool slightly. , Process in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth; set aside. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the asparagus tips; cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Drain and chill until serving. , In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add pureed asparagus. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot soup into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until mixture is heated through and reaches 160°. Stir in the cream, curry powder, pepper and lemon juice., Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Cover and chill until serving. Garnish with asparagus tips, gently adding to each bowl.

ASPARAGUS VELVET SOUP

Steps:

• Trim asparagus by snapping tough ends off.
• Use only thin fresh asparagus.
• Bring wine and water to a simmer, add asparagus.
• Cook, covered 5 minutes or until tender.
• Drain asparagus liquid into food processor.
• Cut tips off asparagus at and angle and reserve.
• Cut the remaining spears into 1 inch pieces and puree in processor along with the liquid.
• In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes.
• Whisk in vegetable stock and bring liquid to a bubble.
• Whisk in asparagus stock and return to a bubble.
• Season soup and stir in cream.
• Cook to thicken slightly.
• Serve in bowls topped with reserved asparagus tips and tarragon or chives.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Goat cheese: Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Using a fork, in a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and basil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a round tablespoon measure sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray, scoop the goat cheese into balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Soup: In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring constantly until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth, asparagus and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the herbed goat cheese.
• Cook's Note: The soup can also be pureed by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

NAGE OYSTERS AND ASPARAGUS IN PERNOD VELOUTE

Steps:

• Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan. In a heavy -bottomed pot, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute, stirring for 2 minutes. Turn heat down to medium and sprinkle the flour over the leeks. Saute, stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the boiling chicken stock all at once. Beat vigorously with a whisk to incorporate the flour into the stock. Return to boil and add the celery. Reduce to a bare simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.
• When ready to serve, divide the raw oysters and the cooked asparagus tips among 6 wide, shallow soup bowls. If you find the soup too thick, add some oyster liquor to thin it. Strain the soup, bring it to a boil, add the Pernod, and turn off heat. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with a whisk. Season to taste and pour immediately over the oysters and asparagus in the soup bowls, keeping the oysters just above the surface of the veloute. Garnish with fresh tarragon leaves, if available.
• As an appetizer: The best way to use this recipe, we feel. A great start to a late-winter/early-spring dinner that leads, perhaps, into a roast leg of lamb. A wonderful way to serve it is to place the bowls before your guests, with the oysters and asparagus already set in them. Then, bring a tureen to the table and ladle the veloute over all.
• As a main course: If you simply increase the amount of oysters and asparagus-say 8 per person rather than 4-you'll have a light but filling main-course soup. Serve warmed French bread with it, and a light frilly salad tossed with fresh goat cheese.

CHICKEN VELVET SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Whisk flour into butter until mixture forms a smooth paste, about 1 minute.
• Whisk chicken broth, milk, and light cream into butter mixture; cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in cooked chicken. Return soup to a boil and cook until chicken is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

CHICKEN VELOUTE WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Put the margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• When the margarine melts, add the asparagus from one can only, discarding the juice.
• Then add the flour, mix with a wooden spoon and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Gradually add the hot chicken stock, whisking constantly.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, bring to a boil and continue to cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the stove and strain the chicken veloute through a sieve.
• Dice the asparagus from the second can, place it in the chicken soup, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

WHITE VELVET SOUP

Steps:

• combine first 6 ingredients in a stockpot, bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes until veggies are tender with a hand blender process the soup until it is smooth.
• add wine, cook for 5 minutes.
• add milk, salt, pepper.
• divide into 6 bowls, drizzle each with olive oil and sprinkle with scallions.

HOT OR COLD SESAME ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water until almost crisp tender.
• If serving chilled, cook until crisp tender.
• Drain.
• Place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
• Drain, pat dry, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Combine sesame oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add asparagus.
• Saute about 2 minutes until crisp tender.
• Mix lemon juice with soy sauce.
• If serving cold, mix 2 T olive oil, sesame oil, lemon juice and soy sauce.
• Do not cook further.
• Toss with asparagus to coat.
• Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• If using fresh asparagus, wash stalks and cut off the coarse ends.
• Cook the asparagus in 2 cups boiling water until tender.
• Drain, reserving 1 cup of the water.
• Cut off the tips, chop them and reserve.
• Put the chicken stock, onion, and reserved water in a pan and bring to boil.
• Add the asparagus and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Put through a strainer or vegetable mill or puree in a food processor or an electric blender.
• Return to the pot and add the milk or cream and salt and pepper to taste.
• Reheat and adjust the seasonings.
• Before serving, sprinkle with reserved chopped tips.