Lara’s Celeriac, Jerusalem artichoke and roast chestnut soup with crispy bacon and butter bread (Score 118.5/150)ara

A hearty winter warmer served with a chilled sparkling Seppelt shiraz.

Ingredients:

One brown onion
One celeriac
10 Jerusalem artichokes
15 chestnuts
One carton of chicken stock
two small tubs of Creme Fraiche D’isigny
Four middle bacon rashers
Squeeze of lemon juice
Knob of butter
Good slug of maple syrup
Ayurvedic magic salt
Cracked black pepper

Method:

Start by dicing the celeriac, jerusalem artichoke and onions.
Don’t be put off by the sheer ugliness of the two first ingredients, celeriac and jerusalem (f)artichokes (!), although quite possibly the worst looking vegetables of this season, once peeled and chopped are just delicious!
TIP: Once you have peeled the jerusalem artichokes, plunge them into cold water before dicing to stop them from discoloring.
In a large pot, melt a large knob of butter.
Add the diced veggies, salt and pepper and allow them to sweat down for 10-15 minutes.
In the mean time, score the top of the chestnuts with a sharp knife (to stop them from exploding in the over)
Sling them in a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes.

Once the veggies have softened, pour the stock over them and allow that to simmer for 10 minutes.
Peel the roasted chestnuts and throw them into the mix.
Add the Creme Fraiche D’isigny, slug of maple syrup and squeeze the juice of one plump lemon into the pot.
Allow to cook for another 5 minutes, then puree in batches in a blender until smooth and creamy.
Chop the bacon into little pieces and dry fry until crispy.

Pour the soup into bowls, top with the crispy bacon and buttered, toasted Ciabatta de cassa bread.Garnish with a sprig of something green and tasty looking ; )

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!

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 ; )

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 ; )

Matt’s Shabby Shabu (Score:141.5/150)

This week, Matt’s Shabby Shabu blew us all away, once again elevating The National Grid Soup-a-league to a new level!

the shabu table

Shabby Shabu - Country of Origin Japan (Shabu Shabu)
Ingredients:
Water
Shitaki mushrooms
Spring Onions
Asian Cabbage
Carrot
Broccolini and any other green you like really
Tofu
Nori (dried seaweed)
Udon noodles
Garlic

Some clean nice steak
and the secret seasoning .. Dashi, find it at an Asian Grocer.

You could keep it Veg only or sub in fish or chicken, as long is it is cut and rolled super thin it will work

Other bits for a Dipping sauce:
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Sweet Soy
Vinegar

You’ll need a little portable gas stove so you can have it at the table and experience this dish progressively with friends. It is a build as you go soup, think fondu but soup, progressive dish.

Method:

Get your meat ready, cut the steak thinly, cover with glad wrap, then roll out flat using a rolling pin, slice into bite size chunks – set aside. Chop up the veg into portions, use the force as you like. Mushrooms in half, carrot into pretty thin sticks, cabbage just slice it as you like etc. Make a tasty dipping sauce, sweet soy, soy, sesame oil, bit of garlic, dash of vinegar – place in a small jug. Half a cup should be fine. Set up a large pot on the portable stove at a table. Boil the kettle and pour into the pot. Add some dashi for flavour and a bit of sesame oil. Add a few mushrooms and carrots and spring onion to start, pop the lid on and let it return to the boil.Put the raw meat on one plate and the veg, tofu and noodles on another. Seat your friends with some chop sticks, a spoon and a bowl in front of them. Pour some dipping sauce in everyones bowl. Start with the meat, cook it in the broth, everyone manages their own and then dips it in their own dipping sauce in their bowls. Then progressively start to throw in some veg, not the cabbage, that’s for later. Tofu in, keep eating, green veg in, keep eating etc. Monitor the heat you’ll get the idea. Towards the end of the veg throw in the udon noodles then the cabbage. The soup will get tastier and thicker as it boils down, serve broth and noodles into everyones bowl with a ladle. To add more flavour add soy and dashi at your own discretion.

Good luck enjoy

simmering sensation

tucking in

Soup-a-league T-shirt, ha ha!

Nice T-Shirt! available at RedBubble

cooking the thin slices of beef in the broth

adding some greens

smarty pants takes the league lead

Smarty pants! Til next week!

Barrett’s Chilli Chicken Soup (Score: 116/150)

Ingredients:

945 ml water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 g salt
1 g ground black pepper
1 g garlic powder
1 g dried parsley
3 g onion powder
2-1/2 cubes chicken bouillon
20 ml olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1-1/2 cloves garlic, chopped
225 (16 ounce) jars chunky salsa
1/2 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
10 g chili powder
1/2 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
450 g kidney beans, undrained
115 g sour cream

Method:

In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned.

Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.

Barretts Chilli Chicken Soup