Hoorah for the humble British Carrot. Versatile, flavourful and nourishing, the carrot can sometimes be, well, a bit forgettable (sorry carrot). But not in this recipe... the hint (really more of a wallop) of curry gives an edge to the Carroty sweetness of this soup.
The Carrot was brought to the UK by the Romans, and soon became quite at home. It grew so well that it was held as far superior to any raised at home. Since the middle ages, carrots have been boiled and buttered as a veg and simmered in soups. And at the end of Winter, when the last of the apples had rotted, they were used in place of fruit in pies, puddings and cakes. Although the sweet carrot pie has faded to obscurity (quite the shocker - although I bet Heston could make it good!), a plethora of unusual and wonderful sweet and savoury Carrot recipes live on. Here's an example, which is based on a 17th century recipe.
Ingredients
2oz (50g) Butter
1tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 sticks of celery (roughly 200g)
500g Carrots, washed and thinly sliced
1.5 pints of stock
Salt & pepper
2 teaspoons of mild curry paste
Method
Heat the butter & oil over a medium heat in a large heavy based saucepan. Chuck in the onions & celery and cook gently in the butter until soft (10 -15 mins). Add in the curry paste, stirring regularly. Add the carrots & stock. Bring to the boil, and simmer on a very low heat, uncovered for 30 mins until the carrots are soft. Blend. Season. Garnish with a few toasted walnuts and a dribble of hemp oil if you have it.
Prep time 10 mins. Cooking time 45mins.
No comments:
Post a Comment