Watercress Soup

* Exported from MasterCook *

WATERCRESS SOUP

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Watercress bunch
1/2 md Onion, coarsely
-chopped
1 md Potato, roughly
-diced
1/2 Garlic clove, chopped
1/2 oz Butter (or your
-favourite oil
-or margarine)
3 c Water
1 tb Heavy cream
-(or whipping cream)
1 oz Black caviar (lump
-fish roe is fine)
4 Water biscuits
-(bite-size)
1 pn Salt and pepper
-(to taste)

Gently fry onion and garlic in a small amount of
butter until transparent. Season lightly with salt and
pepper, and add water and potato and boil until soft.

Pick over watercress and chop 4 or five sprigs and set
them aside. Put onion and potato mixture in blender
and puree. Add most of watercress, blend, re-season to
taste and return to heat.

Bring mixture to boil and simmer for 2 or three
minutes. Stir gently to prevent soup from sticking to
bottom. Remove from heat.

This is the decision point. Either set aside to cool,
then chill, or carry on to serve the soup hot.

Stir in cream and chopped watercress. Heap a teaspoon
of caviar on each of the water biscuits and float one
on each bowl of soup immediately prior to serving.

NOTES:

* Watercress soup, hot or cold -- This thick, creamy
soup is equally good whether served hot or cold. I
have had watercress soup in restaurants, and my mother
sometimes makes it, too, but this recipe is my own
interpretation of the idea. Yield: Serves 4.

* Use the minimum amount of butter, oil, or margarine
that will turn the onion transparent. Those who are
particularly diet-conscious could dispense with this
step, and with the cream. Don't overdo the garlic, 1/2
a small clove is ample since it is a background
flavour, not one that you should be aware of.

* A caution regarding seasoning. Potatoes absorb a
lot of salt so you may find it under-salted. The
caviar on the other hand, is very salty. This, for
me, is a delightful and important contrast. Guests can
always add extra salt if they choose.

* Water biscuits are made by Carr's, amongst others,
and can be found in most supermarkets, possibly in the
gourmet food section. They are variously known as
water biscuits, water crackers and table water
crackers. To my mind the best for eating with cheese
are the high-bake ones, but the regular type are
better for this recipe. If you can't find them, then
any round dry bland low-salt cracker will do.

* A 2 oz jar of lumpfish caviar costs a little under
$3.00, but it does keep in the fridge so you can get
two batches of four servings from one jar. I suppose
if budget is a prime consideration one could dispense
with the caviar, too, but that would be like serving a
martini without the olives. (Treasonable.)

: Difficulty: easy to moderate.
: Time: 20 minutes of preparation, 1/2 hour of
simmering. : Precision: Approximate measurement OK.

: Marcus G Hand.
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