Barrett’s Red pepper & Goats cheese soup (Score: 123.5/150)

Ingredients:

2 brown onion, peeled and diced finely
6 red peppers, deseeded and diced
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 tsp basil, finely chopped
75ml dry white wine
900ml stock (vegetable or bullion)
50grams soft, rind-less goat’s cheese
Salt
Pepper

Served with Fresh Baguette & wild game pate.

Method:

Fry onions in olive oil until golden brown (but not burnt). Add the wine and continue to stir frequently as the alcohol evaporates, ensuring that nothing is stuck to the pan; this should take about another 2 minutes.
Add the peppers, apple, basil and stock and boil moderately, partially covered for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Take off the heat and puree the soup like all hell, otherwise its bitty.
Re-heat the soup and add the goat’s cheese, whisking as the cheese melts. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To garnish use a small leaf of basil or crumble some extra goats cheese on top.

Lara’s African Chicken and banana soup served with a mango lassi (Score: 134.5/150)

It’s finals time folks, let the play off begin…

Lara (4) will face off against Matt (1), Nick (2) against Simon (3), the top scorers from the play offs will go into the SOUP-A-BOWL to take out this years title. keep watching!

Ingredients (soup):

4 Chicken Thighs
2 brown onions
2 cloves garlic
hot red chili
green chili
coconut cream
chicken stock
Lenitls
coriander
toasted cashews
banana slices
butter
hot curry powder

Mango Lassi:
1 jar of mango slices
1 tub of greek yogurt honey
skimmed milk

Peanut toast:
Toasted vienna loaf, buttered, then dipped- face down in toasted crushed peanuts

Method:
In a large pot, melt some butter and gently sauté the onions, garlic, chilies and diced chicken thighs. Add the curry powder, once the chicken is cooked through, add the coconut cream and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and throw the lentils in, allow to simmer. Toast the vienna slices, butter one side and dip the buttered side in crushed toasted nuts. To serve the soup, transfer three good ladles full into a bowl, top with fresh coriander, slices of fresh banana and toasted cashews. For the lassi’s: mix the ingredients in a blander, chill and serve. Yum!

Matts Peasant Pea and Ham (Score: 119/150)

Ingredients:

1 onion
3 celery sticks
1 carrot
little oil
Ham hock and or bone
300g Green split peas
Vegetable or chicken stock
two spuds
few fresh green peas
cream

Mathod:

Take a large pot, throw chopped onion, carrot and celery and a few bits of ham cut of the bone into a small amount of oil and sweat off. Throw in the rest of the ham and bone. Pour in the stock. Let it brew for about 20 mins then toss in the split peas and simmer for an hour. Just top up with water if it looks in need. Boil you spuds and mash When you are ready to serve, bar mix your soup, top up with water if needed and put in a little cream. Serve and top with a dollop of mash and fresh peas Over to you peasant peeps!

Nick’s Cambodian Hot and Sour Soup (Score: 121/150)

This week, the competition hots up (quite literally) with Nick’s very tasty Cambodian Hot and Sour Soup (Somlah Machou Khmer)

Stock:

• 1 whole chicken (3-3 1/2 lbs), cut into 8 pieces with innards removed (use the neck if you have it!)
• 1 whole white onion, quartered
• 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 4 green onions
• 2-3 whole star anise
• 1 Tbsp white peppercorns
• 2 sprigs coriander
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce (nước mắm, found in any asian market, or the imports aisle of your local supermarket)
• cold water (enough to cover the chicken)

Method:

1. Roast the onion, garlic, and ginger under a broiler until charred, about 10 minutes.
2. Place all ingredients in a stock-pot except the fish sauce, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface.
3. Reduce to a slow simmer. After 15 minutes, remove from heat, and cool. Remove the chicken and let cool. (The chicken can be used in a soup later.) Return the bones to the pot with the roasted veg and fish sauce and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove from heat. Skim as much fat off the top as possible, and strain through cheesecloth.  Let the stock cool to room temperature.
5. Refrigerate overnight. Remove the top layer of fat. You can freeze it in ice cube trays, and then store the stock cubes in sealable plastic bags for use whenever you need it.

Soup Ingredients:

2 stalks of lemongrass (white bulbs only), smashed
60ml fish sauce (Nam Pla)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp galangal, coarsely chopped (or ginger)
2 tsp salt
115g lotus roots cut into 5cm lengths (obtain from Asian Supermarket)
1 medium tomato, sliced into wedges
340g chicken fillets, diced into 3cm cubes
120ml tamarind juice (mix 130ml hot water with 80g tamarind paste, stir and strain)
3 tbsp groundnut oil
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
60g Thai holy basil (or ordinary basil) leaves, coarsely chopped
40g fresh coriander or mint, coarsely chopped
10 quail egs (you can find them canned at your Asian grocer)
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored sliced 6mm thick and juilenned
2 to 6 birds’ eye chillies, sliced very thinly

Method:

Combine the chicken stock, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, galangal and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the pineapple, lotus root and tomato, return to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes). Add the tamarind juice then gently stir-in the chicken. Return the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the oil to a small pan and heat over high heat. Use this to fry the garlic until just browned then add to the soup. Now stir-in the basil, mint and coriander. Allow to wilt for 1 minute and take off the heat.

Add the egg and lotus root, stirring it into the soup as it cooks. Serve the soup ladled into warmed soup bowls and garnished with the birds’ eye chillies

Barretts Beef and Veggie Country pot with ploughmans (Score:123/150)

BEEF STOCK Ingredients:

Left over bones from Roast.
Trimmings from Veg from roast!
Method:

Cover bones in tomato pure, pop in oven until black.
Transfer to pot cover wi COLD water and bring to a gentle simmer.
Don’t boil it or it’ll go cloudy.
Add carrott, onion, leek, celery trimmings (no parsnip or turnip, it’ll go cloudy)
Add garlic and hard herbs.
Cook 2-3 times if possible.
Top up with cold water regularly.
Let it cool, refrigerate overnight, the fat will settle and you can pick it off the next day.
Pass through a sieve or cloth to get the finest liquid possible.
Heat/reduce the beef juice until you get a nice thicker consistency.  (cheers marky!)

SOUP Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 600g gravy beef, trimmed, cut into 2cm pieces
1 medium brown onion (150g),
chopped coarsely 1 clove garlic, crushed
1 litre (4 cups) water 3 cups of homemade beef stock
400g can diced tomatoes
2 trimmed celery stalks (200g), cut into 1cm pieces
1 medium carrot (120g), cut into 1cm pieces
2 small potatoes (240g), cut into 1cm pieces
fresh sweetcorn (scrape of cob into pan)
1⁄2 cup (60g) frozen peas

METHOD:

Heat half of the oil in large saucepan; cook beef, in batches, until browned.
Heat remaining oil in same pan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, until onion softens.
Return beef to pan with the water, stock and undrained tomatoes; bring to the boil.
Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1.5 hours.
Add celery, carrot and potato to soup; simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until  vegetables are tender.
Add corn and peas to soup stir over heat until peas are tender.
Serves about 6, accompany with a tasty cold cider…….. Fooockin delicious!

Lara’s Poached Chicken, coconut & wonton soup (Score: 121/150)

This week Lara made soup of the Asian persuasion. Taking two styles (Chinese – wonton and Thai – coconut soup base) and blending them together for a light, tasty soup s’up yo!

Ingredients:

For the soup:
brown onion
shallots
fresh ginger
garlic
lemongrass
chilli (red, long)
chicken stock
3 chicken breasts
2 cans organic coconut cream
water chestnuts (whole)
coriander
salt & pepper

For the wontons:
Singapore wonton wrappers
Shallots
garlic
coriander root
water chestnuts
chilli (small,red)
fish sauce
sesame seed oil
soy sauce
chicken mince

Method:

In one pan, poach the chicken breasts in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through, drain and set aside.

In a large pot, melt a little butter and add the diced onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, shallots and chili and cook until translucent and aromatic. Add the chicken stock and the coconut cream and bring to the boil.
Shred the poached chicken using two forks and sling the meat into the stock, reduce to a simmer. Throw the water chestnuts in also.

For the wontons, mix together the chicken mince with the very very finely chopped coriander root, garlic, shallots, chili, water chestnuts, soy sauce, sesame seed oil and fish sauce in a bowl. Spread out a wonton wrapper on a board, dollop one tea spoon of the mix in the middle.
Wet all sides of the wonton with warm water. Bring opposite corners together and press the edges down to create a seal, you will end up with a triangle shape. Then, wet just one of the triangle corners, make a dimple in the mixture pouch and bring the non wet corner across the face of the wonton to stick onto the wet corner. The wonton should resemble a bishops hat … sort of!

Sling the wontons into the bubbling soup and cook for 8-10 mintes.
Serve with a good sprinkle of fresh coriander leaves on top, and a little salt & pepper! YUM!
… hello dad ; )

Matts Pumpkin Pleasure (Score: 121/150)

This week, Matt bowled us over with a house hold favourite, a beautiful sweet pumpkin soup. Delicious. Seems smarty pants is still in the lead!

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 leek, white part only, finely sliced
3 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1kg peeled pumpkin, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced
1L chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup (125ml) thin cream

Bits for the top
bread for bread crumbs
parsley for garnish
Sour cream
crushed garlic

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add onion and leek and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
2. Add garlic and spices and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
3. Add pumpkin, sweet potato and stock and bring to the boil.
Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then blend to texture you like
4. Return soup to pan, stir through cream and reheat gently.
5. Fry bread crust in a little olive oil, then chop super fine
6. Fry off garlic and stir through sour cream
Season with salt, top dress with parsley, sour cream mix and and bread crumbs, dash of olive oil

Nick’s Bouillabaisse (Score: 126/150)

Melt in the mouth Bouillabaisse serevd with a cheeky Verdhelo from the Hunter

This week, Nick impressed once again, with a cracking The Cook and the Chef inspired Bouillabaisse. Extra points scored for getting up at sparrows, to head down to the fish monger – selecting his ingredients to make sure the fish was super fresh.
Kudos for making the soup before work!

Ingredients:

500g oily fish fillets – mullet
1 kg white fleshed fish fillets – snapper
500g mussel
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped.
pinch saffron threads

For the fish stock:
1 kg fish bones/heads (one big snapper head will do)
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 litre cold water.
60 ml dry white wine
100 ml olive oil
1 medium-size onion, sliced.
2 fresh bay leaves
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1/4 bunch parsley stalks
1 lemon, pith & zest removed

For the bouillabaisse:
1 large onion, finely chopped.
2 leeks, use only the white and light green part, halve lengthwise, wash well, and slice finely.
1 fennel bulb sliced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 long thin strip orange zest
1/4 bunch Parsley stalks
1 teaspoon fennel seed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Boiling water as needed

1 tablespoon tomato puree
1/2 bunch chopped flat leaf parsley

Method:

Rinse the fish head in cold water and chop into walnut size pieces. Put into a large stockpot and sdd the butter over medium heat, add the sliced onions and cook until soft but not brown, (about 6 minutes), stirring occasionally. Do not colour. Just cover with the cold water. Add bay leaves, thyme, parsely, lemon and wine. Bring to a simmer and turn off, let sit for 1 hour. Strain the fish stock through a conical strainer and set aside to cool. Discard the fish head. There should be about 1 litre of fish stock at this point.

Lightly roast saffron (optional) and steep half the saffron in 50 ml of hot water. Set aside.

Cut the fish fillets into 6cm pieces.
Whilst the fish stock is simmering marinate the fish fillets in two large bowls, keeping the oily and the white fish separate, with 50 ml of olive oil, 1 chopped garlic, and the water steeped saffron threads. Leave in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan add chopped onions, leeks, celery and fennel and fry for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the remaining garlic, the parsley stalks, the orange zest, and fennel seeds.
Stir in the fish stock and a small pinch saffron, season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Add the oily fish and keep simmering uncovered, for about 3 minutes. Add the firm-fleshed white fish and simmer for further 3 minutes. Add cockles and mussels and cook for a few minutes with a lid on the dish and cook 3 mins, hopefully they will open. If necessary add more boiling water to cover the fish. (If the heat is not enough to open the mussels, take them out and throw into a hot pan deglazing with a little white wine rather than continuing cooking & spoiling the fish in the boullabaise.)

Add the tomato puree to the fish.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with a saffron mayonnaise.

Happy tasters!

Barretts Easy French Ognion Soup (Score 118/150)

Ingredients:
55g High End Butter (go Deli and buy really good stuff, makes all the difference)
750g onions (about 5 medium onion fellas) peeled and sliced in a thin fashion
1 Clove of garlic peeled and crushed
2 tsp of plain flour 5 cups o beef stock fresh Beef Stock Or buy some Oxo and carton beef stock & mix together in a pot
1 glass of red wine to your picking. Salt & Black Pepper ground chilli, black pepper and parsley
4 wee circular bits of french bread to fit the custom bowls + extra French bread for the side
55g Gruyere cheese for topping.

Method:

Heat butter in a large heavy pan over a low heat until it melts and bubbles a bit
Add onions & garlic, cover big pan for 30-35 minutes til onions are golden brown
Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes
pour in stock little by little, stir continuously. bring to the boil
reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes or so
season to taste with salt & black pepper (tastes better if you leave it a day)
grill toast then add cheese, sprinkle cheese on surface place wee toast in bowl and re-grill the lot.
Lovely.

Delicious french onion soup ... haaw hee haaw!

Lara’s Chunky Minestrone with meatballs (Score:111/150)

Chunky Minestrone with meatballs

This week, the ever escalating scores get brought back within reach, with Lara’s Chunky Italian Minestrone and meatball soup.
With temperatures plumitting down to the 12 degree mark, this classic winter warmer, served with a white shiraz with fresh orange pieces in, is sure to warm your cockles!

Ingredients:

Pork & Veal mince
red onion
clove of garlic
bread crumbs
flatleaf parsley
small red chilli
Sweet paprika
egg

Brown onion
Cellery
Carrot
White cabbage
Leek
Picolini baby penne pasta
Tinned chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree
Beef stock
Flatleaf parsley
Salt & Pepper

Olive oil Ciabatta loaf from Bourke Street Baker (corner of Bourke and Devonshire, Surry hills)

Method:

For the meatballs: In a food processor add the mince, garlic, chopped red onion, bread crumbs, egg, chilli and parsley and blend until thouroughly mixed.

Using a teasppon, scoop small spoons into your hands and roll to make little bite sized meat balls.
Toss them into a pan with a little olive oil to brown the outsides, then fling them in a baking tray.
Pop them in the over to cook through. Oven should be about 180 degrees. While those are cooking, chop the rest of your veggies for the soup.

In a pan, heat a little olive oil and gently fry the onion, leek, celery, carrot and cabbage until they are slightly softened.
Add a tblsp of tomatoe puree and the tinned tomatoes, stir through. Top up with the stock and bring the soup to the boil.

Add the pasta, once the pasta has reached ‘aldente’, the soup is ready to serve. (note. If you are making this the night before, don’t make the mistake I did, and leave the pasta in there over night! My penne was very soft!)
To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl, add a few of the warm meatballs and top with freshly chopped flatleaf parsely and a good grind of sea salt and black pepper.

Til next week! Let’s see what Bazmati ™ comes up with this time ; )