Soups & Sauces

AIOLI

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the garlic and egg yolk. Whisking constantly, add
the olive oil in a thin, steady stream, very slowly at first. Once the
mixture emulsifies, the oil may be added a little more quickly. Whisk in the
lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover
and refrigerate until needed. It will keep for as long as two days.

Aosta Valley “Summertime” Soup

Ingredients:

12 ounces Fontina Val d’Aosta
6 ounces tomato pulp
4-6 slices of rye bread
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 onions
1 clove garlic
fresh parsley
fresh basil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Chop the onions, garlic, parsley, basil, and tomato. Fry this mixture in the olive oil until cooked.
Salt and pepper to taste. Place the bread in a dish that can go into the oven. Cover with the sauce and slices of Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese. Place in oven at 350 degrees until brown.
Serves 6.

Apple, Green Onion, and Pine Nut Compote

Ingredients:
This compote is spectacular atop grilled pork and fennel. Serve with a charred-tomato couscous.

1 green apple, diced
1 cup chopped green onion
1 tablespoon Lurpack Garlic butter
1 tablespoon black truffle butter
1 tablespoon Lavender Honey
1 tablespoon Verjuice
1/4 cup pine nuts
Pinch of sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and paprika
1/2 cup Albarino or other white wine

Directions:
1. Over medium heat melt garlic butter and truffle butter.
2. Add onion, apple, and pine nuts. Drizzle with lavender honey and season.
3. Stirring, add verjuice.
4. Add wine and reduce for approximately 7 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and let sit 4-5 minutes before serving on top of grilled chops.

Autumn Acorn Squash Soup With Spanish Tronchon Cheese

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
pinch of salt and black pepper
1 cup Tronchon Cheese cut into a small dice
(igourmet Spanish cheese section)
5 roasted garlic cloves
1 Spanish onion cut into a small dice
1 quart chicken broth or stock
1/4 cup fresh chives (for garnish) 

Directions:
Method for the squash:

Split the acorn squash in half vertically, trimming off just a little of each half so the two halves stand without rocking. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, remove the seeds and stringy flesh.  Place the butter and sugar in the center of each half and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 for one hour or until very soft. Remove from the oven, cool and remove the meat of the squash from the skin.

Method for the soup:

In a medium saucepan sweat the onions over medium-high heat till they are translucent. Add the whole roasted garlic cloves and continue to sweat for two to three minutes over medium heat. Add the squash meat and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until warmed through. Add the heavy cream and chicken stock and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the Tronchon cheeses and stir until the cheese is completely melted. Last, puree the soup with a handheld blender or purée in a standing blender. (Note: If using a standing blender, let the soup cool until it’s warm before blending. Also never fill the blender more than halfway as the soup will combust when blending and always keep your hand firmly on the top when blending.)

After the soup is well blended, check the seasoning with salt and pepper and gently bring back to a hot temperature. Season with chopped chives and serve.

This recipe has been exclusively prepared for igourmet by Chef Andrew J. Selz CEC

Autumn Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces bacon, cut into strips
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cubes of meat stock/bouillon
1500 ml water
3 tablespoons white flour, blended into an even paste with a little water
5 ounces Ski Queen
10 ounces meatballs or hotdog cubes
2 carrots chopped into cubes
8 ounces broccoli chopped into cubes
100 ml cream
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Melt the butter in a pan, and quickly fry the onions and bacon. Add water and the stock/bouillon cubes and let everything come to the boil. Stir the flour into the soup when it comes to the boil. Slice the Ski Queen and allow it to melt into the soup. Add meatballs/hotdog cubes, carrots, and broccoli and then turn down the heat. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes. Add cream, salt, and pepper to taste.

Serve the soup with whole-grain or coarse bread.

Avocado and Coriander Pesto

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons picked coriander leaves
3 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 lemon sliced
1 cup Elysian Isle Avocado Oil
5 1/4 tablespoons roasted cashews
3 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Pick coriander, wash, place in food processor with garlic and lemon juice, and blend until well combined.

Drizzle oil into the mixture while machine is blending; add cashews and cheese to give a course texture.

Season with salt and pepper. Use as a dipping sauce, on antipasto platters, or in soups.

Avocado Aioli

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup Elysian Isle Gourmet Avocado Oil
1/2 cup light olive oil
lemon juice (to taste)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Place the egg yolks in food processor with mustard and garlic, blend until it becomes slightly aerated. Slowly drizzle the oils in when complete. Season and adjust taste with lemon juice.

Use as a dipping sauce, antipasto, etc.

Balsamic Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 or 4 ounces cold, high-quality butter, cut into chunks
For extra-special occasions use truffle butter

Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a simmer and reduce by two-thirds.
One chunk at a time, swirl in the butter and combine until it’s completely melted, and the sauce has a smooth, velvety consistency.
 
Serve immediately over filet mignon or other fine steak.

Black Treacle Sauce

Ingredients:
15 black peppercorns
10 juniper berries
1/4 cup cider vinegar with honey
1/4 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons Walnut Oil
1 tablespoon Black Treacel
pinch salt

Directions:
1. Crush peppercorns and juniper berries.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook peppercorns, juniper berries, vinegar, onion, and garlic until vinegar is almost entirely evaporated.

3. Stir in oil, treacle, and salt. Cook one minute longer and remove from heat.

4. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Chill at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to blend.

Makes 1/2 cup.

Use as sauce for fish or chicken. Great with salmon and trout.

Blue Velvet Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
8-ounce package cream cheese
13 1/2-ounce can chicken broth
8 ounces Great Hill Blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions:
In a saucepan, sauté carrots, celery, and onion in butter until tender. Blend in flour. Gradually blend in milk and cream cheese until smooth. Add broth, blue cheese, and parsley. Heat and serve hot.

Cabot’s Cheddar Butternut Soup

Ingredients:
2 pounds of butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup low fat or full fat sour cream
1/2 cup Cabot Cheddar
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
Several chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine the squash and stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is very tender. Let pan cool a bit for safety’s sake and then puree the mixture in the blender.

Return the puree to the sauce pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Stir the cream, cheddar cheese, butter, cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring until heated through (do not boil), then taste and add sugar for more seasoning if necessary. Keep warm over low heat.

Serve with chives.

Cambozola Blue Brie Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound leeks, washed, trimmed, and sliced
1 ounce butter
1 ounce plain flour
15 fluid ounces chicken stock
10 fluid ounces milk
3 ounces Cambozola Blue Brie
1 tablespoon fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Lightly fry the leeks in butter for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Liquidize the mixture and return to the pan. Cut the Blue Brie into small cubes and add to soup. Heat until the cheese has melted. Add the chopped dill and season to taste

Serves 6.

Capers in Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup capers
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the other ingredients.

This sauce is great served over several types of vegetables, like
green beans, broccoli, and spinach.

Serves 4.

Cauliflower and Blacksticks Blue Soup

Ingredients:
1 diced onion
1 cauliflower
2 cloves garlic
200 mls double cream
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
100 g Blacksticks Blue

Directions:
1. Place onion and garlic in a pan and cook for a few minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and cook until soft. Remove the pan from heat and leave to cool, add the Blacksticks and cream, and blend until smooth. Season if required and serve with crusty bread.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup Made With Stobys Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil or butter
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
1 tub Stoby’s Cheese Dip (12 oz)
1 head of broccoli, cut
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion until tender. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Simmer until thickened and broccoli is tender.

Cold Quark and Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:

1 European seedless cucumber, peeled
1/3 cup raisins or currants, plumped in cold water
1/4 cup chopped scallions, white part only
2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons dill fronds, minced
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios or walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced and smashed
1 cup Vermont Quark

Directions:
Halve the cucumber lengthwise and remove any seeds. Blot dry with paper towels. Either grate the cucumber or cut into small cubes. Combine all the ingredients and blend in enough ice water to reach a smooth soupy consistency. Alternately, allow a cup or two of ice cubes to melt in the mixture, stirring well to incorporate. In either case, refrigerate the soup for an hour or more before serving.
To serve this as a salad or side dish, skip the dilution of water or ice.

Serves 6. Preparation time: 20 minutes.

Cooper Thornhill’s Blue Stilton Soup

Ingredients:

1 ounce butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 celery sticks finely chopped
2 tablespoons of plain flour
2 1/2 ounces of dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whole milk
4 ounces Blue Stilton cheese, crumbled
5 tablespoons Double Devon Cream

Directions:
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for an additional minute, then remove the pan from heat. Stir in the wine and chicken stock and return to heat. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously until the soup thickens, then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Cool slightly and pass through a sieve to remove all solid objects. Return liquid to rinsed-out pan. Add the milk and heat gently. Stir in the Stilton until melted.

Add seasoning and Double Devon Cream. Do not let the soup boil at this stage, or it will curdle.
Serve hot or chilled. Serves 4-6 people.

Cranberry-Curry Couscous

Ingredients:
2 cups couscous
2 cups boiling chicken stock
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon finely diced preserved lemon
1 shallot, finely diced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 sun-dried cranberries
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Place couscous in a large bowl. Mix the hot stock with curry powder, preserved lemon, shallot, and olive oil. Stir and pour over couscous, add the cranberries and immediately cover. Let rest 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add more olive oil if necessary.

Serves 4 to 6.

Variation: Barberries can be substituted for cranberries.

Cream of Onion and Stilton Soup With Escargots

Ingredients:

24 Wild Burgundy Snails
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound thinly sliced onion
1 pound Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pint heavy whipping cream, whipped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 quart milk
4-6 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled
Salt, white pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
In a large heavy skillet melt butter. When hot, add snails; cook and stir 3-4 minutes. Remove snails; add onions and garlic. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until onions are soft. Add potatoes, toss; add milk and stock. Simmer for 15 minutes; cover, and continue to simmer until potatoes are very soft. Roughly chop snails and set aside. Puree soup, return to sauce pan, and add snails and cheese. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Season. Serve in bowls, garnish with whipped cream, and sprinkle with parsley.

Cream of Tomato with Cheese Mousse

Ingredients:
2.2 pounds of fleshy, well-ripened tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 peroncino, deseeded and roughly ground
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1/2 teaspoon sugar
0.5 dl 50 ml) red wine
4 dl (400 ml) vegetable broth (in cubes)
1 sprig chopped oregano
Salt and pepper (optional)
2 basil branches cut in strips

Cheese mousse
2 dl (227 ml) whipped cream
2 ounces of Tilsiter, grated (or you could use Slovenian Tilsit)

Directions:
Notch the tomatoes with a cross, plunge them quickly in boiling water, peel, and cut them in fours.

Brown the shallots and the garlic in the olive oil, add the tomatoes and the peperoncino and braise for 5 minutes.

Add the tomato purée and the sugar, braise rapidly, add the red wine and the broth, add the oregano, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, reduce to a purée in the mixer and pass through a strainer.

Put back in the casserole and correct the seasoning if necessary.

Heat well a second time.

Add the strips of basil and serve in preheated soup plates or cups.

Gently mix the whipped cream and the cheese and place a tablespoon of this mixture on each plate.

Serve the rest of the cheese mousse separately.

Fiscalini Farms Cheddar Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 1/4 cups milk
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound Fiscalini Farms Cheddar Cheese (any flavor), grated
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups beer
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Sauté onion in butter and then add flour. Continue to cook over a medium heat for approximately two minutes until the roux is cooked. Slowly add the chicken stock.
Heat milk in a separate pot until just boiling. Add the cheese a little at a time until it has all melted.

Next, add the beer and cream.

Season with salt and pepper. Do not boil.

Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and a little grated cheese.

Frantal’s French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of sweet butter
1 1/2 pounds of onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
2 quarts condensed beef broth
12 1/4-inch slices of French bread
1 1/2 cups grated Frantal Emmental

Directions:
In a large soup kettle, heat butter. Add onions and cook over gentle heat stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add salt and continue to cook for three minutes. Add the broth, stir and
simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

On a cookie sheet, bake the bread slices at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush both sides with butter and bake for 10 minutes longer. Fill each bowl with the soup, a generous quantity of Frantal Emmental, and two slices of bread per bowl.

Place bowls on a cookie sheet and heat under a broiler for 10 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
Serves 6 people.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:
5 onions
2 ounces Le Gall butter
2 1/2 pints beef bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 glasses champagne
4 ounces Comté, or for a slight twist, use Beaufort or Le Chartreux
3 ounces Aged Mimolette, grated
6 slices French bread
6 eggs

Directions:
Have ready small earthenware soup bowls with lids (these are called Marmites in French).
Slice or chop the onions finely and sauté them to a golden brown in butter in a frying pan.
Bring the bouillon to a boil and add the onions, salt and pepper.
Simmer for five minutes, then add the champagne. Mix the cheeses together and sprinkle a little on the slices of bread.
Put a slice of bread into each soup bowl, then pour on the boiling soup.
Top with remaining cheese. Cover with lids and serve with raw, unbroken egg.
Each guest breaks the raw egg into the soup and beats it up with a fork. The soup must be really boiling in order to cook the egg a little and thicken the broth.

Serves 6 people.

Fresh Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 quart chicken stock
2 medium potatoes
3 cobs fresh sweet corn
1 tablespoon butter
5 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
2 medium potatoes, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2-4 tablespoons crème fraiche

Directions:
In a 3-quart stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, and onion and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and 2 whole potatoes. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Reserve kernels and add cobs to stock. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove corn cobs.In two batches, puree stock and potatoes in food processor until smooth. While stock is removed from pot, heat the butter over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms and Herbes de Provence until mushrooms are soft.

Return stock to pot with mushrooms. Add the cubed potatoes and corn kernels and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Swirl in crème fraiche and stir until incorporated. Soup can be served hot or cold.

Serves 4-6.

Gammy’s Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf
3 quarts chicken broth (I make this with water and concentrated chicken soup base)
1 cup uncooked Lowell Farms Jasmine Rice (White)
3/4 pounds raw chicken, cut in cubes
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions:
Combine onions, celery, carrots, parsley, pepper, thyme, basil, bay leaf, and chicken broth in dutch oven. Bring to a boil; stir once or twice. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Add chicken cubes and Jasmine Rice and simmer 10 minutes or until cooked. Remove bay leaf. Stir in lime juice just before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.

German Cheesy Soup

Ingredients:
3 cup milk
2 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Kuhne whole-grain mustard
1 cup Butterkase cheese, shredded—or if you prefer a fuller flavor, try the German Tilsit
pinch of nutmeg, paprika, and fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Directions:
Place 1 1/2 cups of the milk in a blender with fresh breadcrumbs and mustard and process on low speed until smooth. Place this mix in saucepan with remaining milk and the cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts and the soup is heated through.

Make sure not to boil. Season and serve

Gloucestershire Chowder

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pint water
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 level teaspoon dried sage
1 level teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1 large onion, skinned and chopped
1 ounce butter
4 ounces sweet corn
2 ounces frozen peas
5 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces Double Gloucester cheese, grated
1/2 level teaspoon grated nutmeg

Directions:
Put the potatoes, water, salt, and pepper in a saucepan with the bay leaf, sage, and cumin, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Sauté the onion in the butter until soft but not browned, then add to the boiled potatoes and their cooking liquid. Add the corn and peas, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add a little extra water if the soup is too thick.
Stir in the cream, cheese, and nutmeg and stir over very low heat until the cheese has melted.
Serve immediately.

Gorgonzola Butter

Ingredients:
4 ounces Mountain Gorgonzola cheese
4 tablespoons of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter, unsalted

Directions:
In a food processor, combine Mountain Gorgonzola cheese and Kerrygold unsalted butter. Process until smooth with no lumps.

Yield: 4 servings

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon Isigny Butter with Coarse Rock Salt, melted
3 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and mix until smooth. Add milk, stirring constantly
until thickened. Then add the Gorgonzola cheese, stirring until melted and sauce is smooth.

Guacamole

Ingredients:
3 small ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and pulp scooped from skins
1/2 tablespoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of diced onion
1 small red Serrano chile or green jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon sour cream
3 tablespoons diced tomato

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the avocado pulp and salt and mash coarsely with a fork. Add the onion, chile, cilantro, lime juice, and sour cream; mix well. Gently fold in the tomatoes. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Cooking Tip: To easily remove the seed of an avocado, cut lengthwise all the way around, twist to separate. Firmly hit the seed with the knife, gently twist, remove the seed, and scoop with a spoon.

Serves 4.

Honey BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared BBQ sauce
(store brand or homemade)
1/2 cup Manuka honey
1 teaspoon mustard

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Use for chicken, steak, vegetarian patties, lamb, turkey, or venison.

Honey-Herb Vegetable Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon thyme, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Toss with vegetables of choice such as: peas, zucchini, spinach, broccoli, green beans, etc.
Serve over couscous as a vegetarian entree or alone as a side dish.

Honey Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
1 tespoon dried tarragon, crushed
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:
Combine mustard and tarragon and mix well. Blend in honey. Whisk in vinegar and oil.
Makes 1/2 cup.

Horseradish Sour Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons white horseradish
lemon juice
black pepper
For a twist, add some Horsefeathers Cheese spread!

Directions:
In a bowl, mix sour cream and 1 teaspoon white horseradish. Add as much as one more teaspoonful horseradish to taste. Add a squirt of lemon juice and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Jarlsberg and Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup Jarlsberg, shredded
1 cup leeks, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 head broccoli, broken into small florets
1 pint half-and-half or heavy cream

Directions:

Sauté leek and mushrooms in butter till tender. Add flour and heat until simmering.
Stir in broth and thicken. Add broccoli florets and simmer 20 minutes or until tender.
Add cream and Jarlsberg and stir until Jarlsberg is completely melted.
Serves 4.

Jarlsberg Lite and Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup Jarlsberg Lite, shredded
1 cup leek, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 head broccoli, broken into small florets
1 pint half-and-half or heavy cream

Directions:
Sauté leek and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add flour and heat until simmering. Stir in broth and thicken. Add broccoli florets and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.

Add cream and Jarlsberg and stir until Jarlsberg is completely melted.

Serves 4.

Jerk Paste

Ingredients:
2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chilies, stemmed and cut in half
8 green onions, coarsely chopped
3 shallots, coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons dried thyme leaves, or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process mixture into a smooth paste.

Note: When working with habanero chilies, use a pair of rubber or plastic gloves, as oils in the pepper will burn.

Make-ahead Tip: Jerk Paste can be made a week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Kaasoep

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 diced onion
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
8 ounces grated Volendam or Maasdam
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of pimenton de la vera dulce (sweet paprika)
1 cup crunchy garlic croutons, or a couple of slices toasted dark walnut bread

Directions:
Over low heat, melt the butter. Add onion and cook until tender. Gently stir in the flour, and then begin to pour broth and milk into the pan. Stir continuously until sauce thickens.

Add salt, pepper, and paprika. Slowly add the grated cheese and cook through. Serve immediately with croutons or toast.

Kashkaval and Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:
This is a traditional Eastern European sauce for chicken, but we love it with lamb as well!

8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 pint milk
8 ounces Kashkaval shredded
1 ounce salted butter
1 1/2 ounce flour
1 bay leaf
Enough oil to fry the mushrooms
salt and pepper
pinch dried thyme, oregano, and rosemary

Directions:
1. Grease a casserole dish with a small amount of the butter.
2. Sautee the mushrooms in olive oil very gently, and make the sauce using a gentle heat throughout.
3. Melt the butter in a large (preferably nonstick) saucepan, then add flour and stir quickly until the butter is absorbed. Now add about a quarter of a teacup of milk and stir quickly again until the milk is absorbed. Keep adding small amounts of milk and stirring. Eventually, the mixture will become more liquid. If lumps appear, stir until they go away. Don’t add milk when you have lumps: stir them out first. Eventually, you will have used up all the milk and you should hopefully be stirring a smooth white sauce. Add the bay leaf and let the sauce simmer for five minutes or so, to allow it to cook. Then remove it from the heat and take out the bay leaf. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
4. Once the mushrooms have softened, add them into the sauce. Grate the cheese and stir into the sauce. Keep stirring until the cheese has melted.

Mustard Dill Sauce

Ingredients:
Dijon mustard
chopped fresh dill
quark
honey
lemon juice

Directions:
In a bowl, spoon in enough mustard for the amount of sauce you will need. Add dill to taste. For a creamier sauce, add a little quark. For a sweeter sauce, add a few drops of honey. To thin, add a squirt of lemon juice. Fantastic over smoked fish!

Pink Garlic Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 ounce butter
1 large head garlic, peeled
4 ounces potato, finely chopped (use a floury variety suitable for mashing)
1 medium onion (preferably a red onion), finely sliced
2 large sticks celery, finely sliced
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pint of milk
4 1/2 ounces Windsor Red, grated (or cheddar and claret)
Salt and pepper

For the Garlic Croutons:
1 ounce butter
1 ounce white bread, cubed
1 clove garlic, crushed

To Serve:
1 ounce Windsor Red, finely sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic chives, or regular chives

Directions:
Windsor Red Cheese imparts a delicate color, and despite a whole head of garlic, the resulting flavor is deliciously mellow and cheesy.

Gently melt the butter. Add garlic, potato, onion, celery, and 4 tablespoons water. Cover and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not allow to burn.

Add nutmeg and milk. Bring to the boil, half cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes (watch it does not boil over).

Mash with a potato masher. Stir in the grated Windsor Red. Add a little water or stock if you prefer a thinner soup. Season to taste.

Garlic Croutons: Gently shallow fry cubes of bread in butter until pale golden. Stir in the garlic toward the end of cooking.

To serve: Reheat soup. Garnish with garlic croutons, finely sliced Windsor Red, and chives.

Pumpkin and Truffle Cream

Ingredients:
1/2 liter of chicken or vegetable stock
600g Carnaroli rice
180g Tartuflanghe Pumpkin and Truffle Cream
1/2 tablespoon butter
salt and black pepper

Directions:

Bring the stock to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Raise the heat and add the rice. Stir for 5 minutes, then add the remaining stock, a little at a time. Season with salt; after 15 minutes the rice should be cooked. In the meantime, warm the Pumpkin and Truffle Cream in a little pot for about 3 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat, place in a bowl, and pour the melted butter over. Serve while hot.

Serves 4.

Pumpkin Soup with Fourme d’Ambert

Ingredients:
1 3/4 pound section of pumpkin
3 1/2 ounces Fourme d’Ambert cheese
3 1/2 tablespoons Isigny butter with coarse rock salt
3/4 cup water
generous 3/4 cup Crème Fraîche
fine salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Remove the seeds, filaments, and rind from the pumpkin. Cut the flesh into small pieces.
Over low heat, cook the pumpkin pieces in the melted butter, covered, for 5 minutes. Pour in 3/4 cup water, add 1/2 teaspoon, cover and let cook 20 minutes longer over low heat.
Put the pumpkin through a food mill using the fine strainer plate, purée in a blender, add the crème fraîche, and season with salt and pepper.
Gently bring the soup to a boil.
Ladle the soup into bowls and lay five thin slices of the Fourme d’Ambert cheese on the surface.
Wait for a moment until the cheese has melted and serve.

Reblochon and Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 ounce Double Devon Unsalted Butter
1 leek, washed, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
2 peeled potatoes, coarsely chopped
6 ounces Reblochon (or Coulommiers) with rind trimmed off and then cut into small pieces
1/4 cup Double Cream
2 tablespoons White Truffle Oil
Maldon Sea Salt, freshly ground pepper
fresh parsley for garnish
4 oz garlic croutons (optional)

Directions:
Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pan, adding onion and leek, and cooking over a low heat until wilted. Add stock and milk and bring to the boil. Add the potato pieces and cook in rolling boil for approx 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat, add the Camembert to the soup then pour into a blender. Blend to a smooth puree, return to low heat, add the cream and truffle oil, stir through, and season to taste.

Pour into individual serving dishes and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley and croutons.

Red Dragon Sauce

Ingredients:
This traditional Welsh sauce is fantastic over all meats, but especially Cornish game hen and duck.

4 ounces Red Dragon
1 ounce flour
10 fluid ounces milk
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 ounce butter

Directions:
Grate the cheese. Put all the other ingredients in a pan. Place over heat and stir continually until you have a smooth sauce. Add the cheese and heat until the cheese has melted. Add the mustard. Serve.

Red Rice, Corn, Leek and Smoked Duck Soup

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 ears of corn (kernels shaved off)
2 leeks (white part only, washed and chopped)
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup dry sherry wine
1 cup diced smoked duck or apple wood smoked bacon
Red Rice Pilaf—one recipe

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, sweat the leeks until they are translucent. Add the smoked duck or bacon. Add the corn and continue to sweat for a few minutes. Add the cooked rice then the sherry wine. Let cook for abut 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve in soup plate or bowl. Add fresh flat parsley or chopped chives on top.

Note: Rock shrimp or lobster may be used instead of duck.

Serves 6.

Roasted Chestnut and Leek Bisque With Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamy Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups roasted and peeled chestnuts
1 cup chopped leeks
1 cup julienned Spanish onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup sherry
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and white pepper to taste
4 tablespoons creamy goat cheese from the Vermont Butter and Cheese Company (link to VBC page on NE cheese site)
1/4 cup finely sliced leek rings

Directions:
Heat a thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, chopped leeks and julienned onion. Cook until translucent and add the sherry. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the onions caramelize to a dark brown color. Add the broth, chestnuts, and garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and purée to a smooth consistency. Serve hot and garnish each portion with one tablespoon of creamy cheese and fresh leek rings.

Salsa de Romesco

Ingredients:
A sauce from the Catalan area of Spain that is best served alongside grilled or barbecued meats, fish, and vegetables. It is also a component of Romesco de Peix, a delicious fish stew. This recipe can be refrigerated for several weeks if it isn’t eaten sooner. We have incorporated the unique flavor of Macadamia nuts into this classic dish.

1 cup whole Macadamia nuts
1 teaspoon salt
3 or 4 thick slices of white bread
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon hot chili flakes or paste
2 chopped red peppers
2 cups Macadamia Nut Oil
6 quartered tomatoes
3 tablespoons paprika
1 cup red wine vinegar

Directions:
Heat oven to 250 centigrade. Toast the almonds, bread, and garlic for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut bread into cubes. (Alternatively you can sauté the almonds, cubed bread, and garlic in a pan with two tablespoons of avocado oil). Place bread and almonds in food processor until finely ground. Peel garlic. Add garlic, chopped red peppers, quartered tomatoes, paprika, salt, pepper, and chili flakes or paste. Mix until smooth. Add avocado oil, then the red wine vinegar until the contents form a thick, smooth salsa.

Sauce for Carpaccio

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons minced baby onion
6 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced gherkins
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced capers
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 anchovy fillets
salt
pepper

Directions:
Mix all the vegetables in a bowl, then add the anchovy, vinegar, and the oil, slowly working it, adding a little oil at a time until the consistency is thick but light. Add parsley, salt, and
pepper to taste. Cover, but do not crown, the thinly sliced raw meat with the sauce and serve.

Simple Summer Truffle Sauce

Ingredients:
A quick and versatile preparation of preserved summer truffles that will leave your guests breathless. Use this sauce to finish most any dish and try it over your favorite piece of meat or fish.

5 ounces Summer Truffles (shaved or sliced very thin)
1 ounce truffle juice (Can be the liquid from the can of truffles, or other truffle juice. Use this juice to lightly marinate the meat or fish.)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (Higher fat content recommended. Allow butter to soften to room temperature.)
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1-2 tablespoons honey (Or try Agave nectar, it is not as sweet, and has that new hip feel).
2 ounces white wine
salt to taste
white pepper to taste
Optional: Add some wild mushrooms, alternate herbs, or even mild chilies. Just be careful not to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the Summer Truffle.

Directions:
Allow five minutes of actual cooking time, just do all your slicing and chopping first!

Five minutes prior to the main course being finished, heat an empty sauté pan over medium-high heat. Quickly caramelize the shallots, and deglaze with the white wine. Reduce heat, and add sliced truffle and herbs. Allow wine to reduce to almost nothing. Add honey, salt, and pepper, and reduce heat to lowest setting. Just before saucing the plate, stir in soft butter. Don’t forget to taste test.

Sopa de Marisco el Diablo

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2/3 cup white wine
6 cups fish stock
1 pound smoked trout
1 pound smoked mussels or shrimp
(Alternatively you could use canned shrimp, smoked baby clams and smoked oysters for ease of availability)
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, loosely packed
1/4 cup Dave’s Gourmet Hot Sauce
juice of two lemons

Directions:
In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the fish stock and bring to a low boil. Add the trout, shrimp, and mussels and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach, pepper sauce, and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Spicy Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Traditional Pepper Jam

Directions:
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in all of the milk, whisking constantly to blend the mixture smooth. Increase the heat and continuing whisking while the sauce comes to a boil. Season with a little salt. Reduce the heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the sauce thickens to the desired consistency, add Traditional Pepper Jam.

Recipe by: Chef Jorge Bruce

Summer Beer Soup

Ingredients:
1 quart sweet German ale
1/4 pound Paprika Suwalski with Vegetables
strained juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
2 cups hot milk
2 large egg yolks, beaten well
salt and pepper to taste
croutons

Directions:
In pan over medium heat, combine ale, lemon juice, rind, cinnamon, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in cornstarch mixed with water. Stir until beer thickens and clears. Whip 1/2 cup hot milk into the egg yolks and scrape back into the remaining hot milk, then stir both into the beer. Heat to just below boiling. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cube cheese into small pieces. Remove soup from heat and slowly stir in cheese until completely melted.

Yield: 6 servings

Chef’s Notes: Discard the cinnamon stick and ladle the soup into mugs. Garnish with a few croutons. This soup can be used as a fondue also.

Wine Suggestions: Semisweet Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc

This recipe prepared exclusively for igourmet.com by Chef Andrew Selz CEC.

Sweet Honey BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups prepared barbecue sauce
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:
Combine ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for five minutes.
Serve with spareribs or chicken or brush on meat or poultry during baking, broiling, or grilling.

Makes 2 1/2 cups.

TABASCO^® Coconut-Habanero Sauce

Ingredients:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons TABASCO^® brand Habanero Pepper Sauce
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup coconut, grated, dry, unsweetened

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use. Brush on chicken or pork chops before baking.

Adapted from www.tabasco.com

TABASCO^® Habanero-Apricot Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup TABASCO^® Habanero Pepper Sauce
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Combine apricot jam, butter, TABASCO^® Habanero Pepper Sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate until ready to use. Brush on chicken, pork, or fish before baking or grilling. Also good for dipping chicken wings or egg rolls.

Adapted from www.tabasco.com.

Truffle-Poppy Seed Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white wine
4 ounces shaved Boschetto al Tartufo (or Caciotta Dei Boschi)
1/4 cup crème fraiche
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon fine Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
pinch of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Over medium heat warm wine, cheese, and poppy seeds.
2. When reduced, slowly add other ingredients, except crème freche, which should be incorporated at the end when ready to serve.
Serve over grilled chicken, pork, or lamb.

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 each large, yellow onion and green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup St. Dalfour Minute Marinade
1 cup yellow corn tortilla chips, ground in a blender or mashed

Directions:
Heat the Marinade in a medium sized saucepan. Add chopped onions and peppers, sauté for 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey, cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook for 30 minutes. Season to taste.

Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Serves 4.

Vlaskaas Soup

Ingredients:
1 quart broth
4 eggs
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup Beemster® Vlaskaas
2 ounces boiled ham, chopped finely
Chives, chopped finely
1 shot glass of gin
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Beat the eggs together with the cream. Add the cheese, ham and chives. Bring the broth to a boil. Add it to the egg mix, stirring continuously. Do not boil. Add the gin and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish the soup with grated cheese.

Walnut Sauce

Ingredients:
1 packet walnut sauce flavoring
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons pasta cooking water
200g cooked pasta
Recommended pasta types: tortellini, ravioli, gnocchi

Directions:
Pour the contents of the spice packet, the olive oil, and the water into a small pot over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Toss sauce with cooked pasta.

Serves 2.