Chilled Fennel Soup With Buttered Walnuts Food

CHILLED FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Place fennel in a 5-quart casserole with a tightly fitting lid. Toss with olive oil. Cook, covered, at 100 percent power in a high-power microwave oven for 32 minutes, stirring twice.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Immediately scrape mixture into a food processor. Process for several minutes, stopping from time to time to scrape sides of bowl, until mixture is very smooth.
• Add fromage blanc and process until smooth. Add lemon juice and 2 cups of the chicken broth and process until smooth.
• Scrape mixture into a large bowl. Whisk in remaining 2 cups chicken broth, salt and pepper.
• Refrigerate until cold. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup of the fennel tops and sprinkle some over each serving.

FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a nonstick pot over low heat. Add the onion, leeks, thyme, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the broth, cover the pan and cook over low heat until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the fennel, cover, and continue to cook until the fennel is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
• Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. Return any of the puree that does not pass through the sieve to the blender, puree again and re-strain, repeating until all the soup has been used. The soup can be refrigerated at this point for up to 3 days.
• Just before serving, slowly bring the soup to a simmer, remove from the heat and whisk in the milk. Ladle into bowls. The soup can be garnished simply with the reserved fennel tops and chopped parsley. For a more festive -- and flavorful -- dish, add a dollop of red-pepper mousse.

CREAM OF FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the feathery tops off the fennel bulbs. Finely mince two tablespoons of the green tops and set aside. Discard the woody stems. Chop the fennel bulbs medium fine.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and chopped fennel bulb, cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer 10 minutes longer.
• Puree the soup in a blender or a food processor. Return it to the saucepan and add the cream. Simmer for five minutes, then stir in the Pernod or Ricard and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a simmer. Serve the soup topped with a dusting of chopped fennel tops. If desired, float a teaspoon of caviar on top of each serving.

CHILLED CELERY, WATERCRESS AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add celery, onion, fennel, garlic and ginger. Cover pot. Cook until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add broth and wine. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in watercress. Let stand 5 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of yogurt, if desired.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND WALNUTS WITH FENNEL AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• Toast the walnuts in oven for 10 minutes. Cool.
• Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the sprouts and cook about 8-10 minutes, until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
• Bring another pan of water to the boil. Add the shallots or pearl onions and cook 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Slip the skins off and remove the stem ends.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large, heavy skillet. Put the shallots or onions into the pan, sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the fennel and continue cooking 5 minutes.
• Combine the walnuts with the broth in a small pan and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the mixture is syrupy.
• Add to the shallots (or onions) and fennel along with the sprouts and remaining tablespoon butter. Stir over medium-low heat until the sprouts are heated through.