Taillevents Cream Of Watercress Soup With Caviar Food

TAILLEVENT'S CREAM OF WATERCRESS SOUP WITH CAVIAR

Steps:

• To make the soup base: Melt the butter in a 6-quart stockpot over medium heat. Stir in the leeks, onion and salt. Cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cream. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer on low, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Purée the soup in a blender or food processor or with a hand-held immersion blender until emulsified and smooth. Return the mixture to the stockpot and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil. Using a slotted spoon, skim off any impurities that rise to the surface. Set aside or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• To finish the soup: Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add the coarse sea salt and watercress. Blanch until wilted and soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately drain the watercress, then plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again; do not squeeze out all the water. Purée the watercress in a food processor, then place it in a fine-meshed sieve and press out any remaining liquid. Discard the liquid. Set the purée aside.
• When ready to serve, reheat the soup base over low heat. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with sea salt and white pepper. Just before serving, add the watercress purée to the warmed soup and stir until blended. Ladle the soup into shallow soup bowls. Place a scoop of whipped cream in the center of each bowl and top with a small spoonful of caviar.

WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and garlic, cook until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in potato and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 1 minute.
• Add stock and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in watercress. Return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among soup bowls and squeeze a lemon wedge into each bowl. Serve immediately.

CREAM OF WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter and sauté onion until transparent.
• Add potato, watercress, milk and stock.
• Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
• Blend in a processor.
• Add cream and seasoning. Heat if needed.

WATERCRESS SOUP WITH WHISKEY CREAM

Steps:

• Bring the cream and 2 tablespoons whiskey to a simmer in a medium skillet over medium heat; cook until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon whiskey. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water, the potato, broth, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the watercress to the saucepan and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the soup to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. Return to the saucepan and bring to a bare simmer; season with salt and pepper.
• Whisk the chilled whiskey cream until soft peaks form. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of the whipped cream.

COLD CREAM OF WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and the watercress stems only and saute until wilted, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock and potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath by partially filling your largest mixing bowl with ice cubes and water.
• In batches to avoid overfilling and splattering, ladle the soup into a blender or food processor, adding some of the creme fraiche and watercress leaves with each batch and reserving about 2 dozen whole leaves for a garnish. Puree each batch and transfer to a fine-meshed strainer held over a large mixing bowl that fits inside the ice water bath, using a rubber spatula to press the puree through the strainer. Taste the puree, adjust the seasonings, if necessary, with more salt and pepper, and stir in the lemon juice.
• Place the bowl of soup inside the ice water bath and chill it until cool, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove the bowl of soup from the ice water bath, dry its underside, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Before serving, taste the soup. If it is too thick, thin it with a little cold milk, chicken stock, or water, to a thick, creamy consistency. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Ladle into chilled bowls and decoratively garnish each serving with a few of the reserved watercress leaves.

CHILLED CREAM OF WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in large pan over low heat. Add potatoes and leeks and sweat off gently for 5 minutes.
• Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and gently cook for around 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the watercress (put 4 sprigs to one side for the garnish). add 3/4 of the cream and blend in a blender/processor until completely smooth.
• Season to taste then chill well before serving. Serve with a swirl of cream and a sprig if watercress.

CHILLED WATERCRESS SOUP WITH ONION CREAM

Steps:

• For soup:
• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add leek and sauté 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Allow broth to cool uncovered 15 minutes.
• Place 3 cups watercress in blender. Pour half of warm broth mixture over watercress and blend until smooth.
• Add half and half and blend until combined. Transfer soup to bowl. Puree remaining broth mixture in blender until smooth; stir into soup in bowl. If more watercress flavor is desired, puree 1/2 cup watercress with 2 cups soup in same blender. Repeat with more watercress, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• For green onion cream:
• Whisk crème fraîche, white and pale green parts of green onions, and all remaining ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Divide soup among 6 shallow bowls. Drizzle with green onion cream; sprinkle with sliced dark green onion tops.

CHILLED WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Blanch watercress in pot of boiling salted water 30 seconds. Drain; set aside.
• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes and leeks; sauté 4 minutes. Add 6 cups broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover partially and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add watercress; simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Mix in cream. Season with salt and pepper. Chill at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Thin with more broth, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chives.

CREAM OF WATERCRESS SOUP WITH PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks and potatoes; sauté until leeks are tender, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chopped watercress. Cover; let stand until watercress wilts, about 5 minutes.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to saucepan. Whisk in sour cream. Thin soup with milk to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate.) Stir soup over low heat just until heated through (do not boil).
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops to skillet and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Place 1 scallop atop soup in each bowl. Garnish with watercress sprigs and serve.

WATERCRESS CREAM SOUP

Steps:

• Set aside 6 sprigs of watercress.
• Finely chop remaining stems and leaves (should be about 3 cups).
• Mix flour and 4 Tbs milk into a paste in a large saucepan.
• Slowly add milk, onion and salt.
• Cook over med heat stirring constantly until soup thickens.
• Boil for 1 minute.
• Stir in chopped watercress.
• Serve as is or puree in a blender if desired.
• Garnish with sprig of watercress.

CREAM OF CHICKEN & WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan.
• When hot and bubbly, stir in flour and mustard.
• Continue to stir until mixture turns golden.
• Gradually add chicken stock, stirring or whisking constantly to smooth away any little lumps of flour.
• Sprinkle with seasoning to taste.
• Whisk yolks into cream.
• Slowly add a little thickened chicken stock and blend.
• Remove pot of chicken stock from the heat.
• While stirring, carefully pour egg/cream mixture into remaining hot stock.
• Add tapioca.
• Add white wine and watercress.
• Reheat carefully but do not bring to the boil as soup will curdle.
• Swirl in whipped cream and serve in heated soup plates.

ASIAN-STYLE WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Place water, onion, soy sauce, soy-based liquid seasoning, garlic, and ginger root in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
• Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons boiling water. Add to the saucepan. Add mushrooms and bouillon. Reduce heat to medium-high; simmer until flavors are blended, about 7 minutes. Add tofu and watercress. Simmer soup for 2 minutes more.
• Pour in eggs slowly, whisking constantly, until cooked, 1 to 2 minutes.

MCGRATH FARMS' WATERCRESS SOUP WITH GENTLEMAN'S RELISH TOAST

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add the sliced onion, leeks, carrot, and celery. Stir to coat with the butter, and season with 1 tablespoon salt and some pepper. Cook 5 minutes and add the chile, thyme, and parsley sprigs. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are just starting to caramelize.
• Add 10 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down and simmer 30 minutes. Strain the stock, discard the vegetables, and set the stock aside.
• Return the pot to medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add the diced onions, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and a healthy grind of pepper. Cook the onions about 5 minutes, stirring often, until they're translucent and tender. Add the vegetable stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a boil.
• You will need to purée the soup in batches. Place 2 1/2 cups of the watercress, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon in the blender. Ladle 1 1/2 cups of the hot stock over the greens. Cover tightly, and carefully start the blender at the lowest possible speed. When the mixture is puréed, add another cup of stock and turn the blender up to high. Add more stock, until the soup is a little thicker than heavy cream. Run the blender at high for 1 minute to ensure the soup is very smooth and creamy. With the motor running, pour in 1/2 cup of cream and taste for seasoning. Add a little squeeze of lemon juice if you like. At this point, the soup's consistency should be that of heavy cream.
• Set the first batch of soup aside, and repeat the process with the remaining watercress, herbs, stock, and cream.
• Pour the hot soup into a large tureen or soup bowl and pass the toasts on the side, so they remain crunchy. Tell your guests to float the toasts in their soup.
• Gentleman's relish on toasts
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Cut the baguette on the diagonal into twelve 1/4-inch-thick slices. (You may have leftover bread.) Brush both sides of each slice generously with olive oil, about 1/4 cup in all. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven 10 to 12 minutes, until golden and crispy but still tender in the center. Let cool.
• Combine the butter, anchovy, shallot, lemon juice, zest, cayenne pepper, parsley, and chives in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• When the toasts have cooled, spread them with gentleman's relish.

WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Remove the leaves from one bunch of watercress and set them aside. Discard the watercress stems.
• Make sure the leeks are in small dice that will cook up quickly.
• Place butter, leeks and chicken broth in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 4-5 minutes.
• Add zucchini, cook several minutes more, until zucchini is just tender.
• Add salt and pepper, stir.
• Add watercress and reduce heat. Simmer 1 minute until watercress wilts.
• Remove from heat and purée in a blender.
• Correct seasoning.
• Just before serving, stir in optional cream OR optional virgin coconut oil.
• Serve hot, warm or cold.
• NOTE 1: Because the traditional French soup is pale green, Richard Grausman used peeled zucchini to create a paler shade of green. You could leave the zucchini unpeeled, thereby giving the soup a darker green color.
• NOTE 2: I am now using almond milk successfully instead of cream. Try Almond Breeze original unsweetened.
• NOTE 3: See my description for making this soup Weight Watcher friendly.