Cream Of Parsnip Soup With Crisp Fried Pancetta Food

CREAM OF PARSNIP SOUP

Steps:

• Fry bacon until crisp.
• Crumble and set aside.
• Heat oven to 400F.
• Put parsnips on a cookie sheet in a single layer.
• Roast until brown, turning occasionally, 25-30 minutes.
• Melt butter on medium heat.
• Saute onion until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add parsnips.
• Saute 5 minutes.
• Add stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Boil until parsnips are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Let mixture cool a bit.
• Put in blender in batches and puree until smooth.
• Pour back into pot.
• Stir in the allspice, and salt and pepper, if desired.
• Top with the bacon.

CREAM OF PARSNIP SOUP

Steps:

• Working lightly, peel the parsnips and cut off the bottoms and tops. Continuing to use the vegetable peeler, cut away and save the rest of the parsnip down to its woody core, catching the thin slices in a wide soup pot. The color of the vegetable will change from creamy white to ivory when you get to the core. Discard the cores.
• Add the butter, onion, potato and salt to the parsnip in the soup pot along with one-third to one-half cup of the water. Place the pot over low to medium-low heat, cover it tightly and cook slowly, "sweating" the vegetables until they begin to become tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir from time to time to keep the vegetables from sticking and scorching.
• Add the tarragon and parsley and continue to sweat the vegetables another 5 minutes. Add the remainder of the water, increase the heat to medium and cook uncovered until the vegetables are completely tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the tarragon and parsley sprigs and, using a slotted spoon, transfer as much as you can of the solids from the soup pot into a blender. With the lid of the blender removed (cover the top with a paper towel), pulse the blender to chop the vegetables. If necessary, add a little water or cooking broth.
• After the vegetables are chopped, turn the blender on the lowest speed and gradually work your way up to the highest. When you start pureeing the vegetables, they'll jump up the sides but then they'll subside and remain at much the same level no matter the speed of the blender. With the motor running, add the rest of the liquid and any vegetables left over and puree until completely smooth.
• Wipe out the pot to remove any bits of vegetable and then pour the pureed soup back into it. Heat through over low heat and taste and correct the salt.
• Beat the sour cream with a spoon to soften it.
• Divide the soup among 4 warmed soup bowls and dribble in a bit of sour cream in a decorative pattern.

CREAM OF PARSNIP SOUP

Steps:

• In wide saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add shallots and onion and sauté, stirring, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine, stir well, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Add parsnips, chicken stock, vinegar, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until parsnips are completely tender, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from heat and use immersion blender to purée the soup (or cool slightly and purée in batches in standing blender, transferring purée to clean saucepan). Whisk in half-and-half. Set over low heat and rewarm until steaming. Serve 3/4 cup portions in soup bowls.

PARSNIP SOUP WITH PARSLEY CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until soft but not coloured. Stir in the parsnips, bay leaves, milk and stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently until the parsnip is very soft. Remove the bay leaves and drain off, but reserve, the liquid. Whizz the parsnips in a blender, adding a little of the cooking liquid at a time until smooth. Keep adding liquid until you reach a lovely soup consistency that's not too thick.
• For the parsley purée and cream, blanch the parsley in boiling salted water for 30 secs, then refresh in ice water - this keeps the green colour. Repeat this twice. Bring the double cream to the boil. Squeeze out any water from the parsley, then whizz in a clean blender, slowly adding the hot cream until it's as smooth as you can get it. Cool. Fold a little of the parsley purée through the whipped cream until nice and green. Season and chill. Keep the remaining purée for serving.
• For the garnish, blanch the parsnip cubes in boiling water for 2 mins, then drain. Heat the olive oil in a pan, and fry the cubes until golden. Keep warm.
• To serve, reheat the parsnip soup and season to taste. Place a little of the parsley purée into each of 6 shallow soup bowls, followed by the soup, a spoonful of the parsley whipped cream and some fried parsnip cubes.