Delicious soup from the Loire

A lovely meal for any season

The recipe for this delicious dish is brought to you by two highly respected British chefs who are based in the Pays de la Loire.
Their successful cookery school uses only the best ingredients, many of which are sourced from this bountiful region.

Spiced Cauliflower Soup glazed with a Curry Sabayon

Ingredients

• 1/2 large cauliflower
• 3 medium onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 stick of celery
• 1/3 of a leek
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 fresh green chilli
• 800ml chicken stock
• 200ml cream

Method

1. Roughly chop onions, garlic, celery, green chilli and washed leek, and slowly fry with a little olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan until soft (but no colour).

2. Add the spices and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Add the roughly chopped cauliflower and cover with the chicken stock (as a vegetarian option use vegetable stock).

3. Bring to the boil, turn down heat and gently simmer until cauliflower is soft.

4. Puree the soup with a stick blender, or in a liquidizer until smooth. Pass the soup through a chinois or fine sieve. Add cream, then season to taste. The soup is now ready to eat.

Sabayon

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp water

Method

1. Whisk egg yolks, water and curry powder over a bain marie until the eggs have changed to a pale colour and are light and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of lemon juice.

2. Ladle the soup into your bowl, and spoon the sabayon over the top of the soup. Glaze with a gas torch until golden brown. Finish with a few dribbles of fresh cream and a sprig of chervil.

Serving Suggestions

This is not only a great soup for warming you up on a cold winter’s day, it’s great any time of year.
It also makes a good starter served with baby poppadoms or curried croutons.
If you would like it to be spicier, then simply add more spices at the appropriate stage.

Advanced preparation

This can be made a couple of days in advance, however, the sabayon is best made just before serving.

This recipe was prepared for you by the Walnut Grove, which offers gourmet cuisine and cooking classes in the beautiful Loire Valley.
The hosts and tutors for the course are Maynard Harvey and Benedict Haines.
They are both talented, professional chefs with a deep understanding of food.
Visit their website for further details