A hot bowl of soup Irish style, had both eating & drinking in it.. A welcomed dish, that would warm the cockles of your heart !!
Dublin Bay Prawn Soup
prep & method
Serving
size 4 Ingredients 50g (2 oz.) butter 50g (2 oz.) onions, peeled and
chopped 50g (2 oz.) carrots, peeled and chopped 8 Dublin Bay prawns,
pre-cooked, unpeeled 1 sprig thyme 1 bay leaf 2 sprigs parsley Freshly
milled black pepper 1 pinch Cayenne pepper 3 T cognac 4/5 C dry white
wine 6 C fish stock 15g butter beaten into 1 T of flour 2 T Kikkoman
Soy Sauce 2/5 C fresh cream Parsley for garnish Cooking directions In a
large sauce pan, melt butter. Lightly brown the onion and carrot; add
unpeeled prawns, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, black and Cayenne peppers.
Heat well, add cognac and wine, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove prawns from pan, peel and place heads aside for garnish. Return
peeled prawns to pan, cover with stock and mix in butter and flour.
Cook slowly for 10 minutes. Pour soup into blender; liquidize and
strain. Place over low heat. Season with soy sauce; mix in cream,
remove from heat. Pour into small soup bowls and garnish with prawn
heads and a little parsley. Serve immediately!
Chicken Broth
This traditional Irish broth is commonly used in Ireland
* 2 uncooked chickens * 15 cups of cold water * 2 sliced onions * 2 sliced carrots * 2 parsley stalks * 6 peppercorns * sprig of thyme * salt
Chop up the uncooked chickens. Place all of the ingredients except the salt into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and skim the fat off the top. Simmer for 3-4 hours. Strain and remove any remaining fat. Add a little salt towards the end of the cooking. Serves 8
Irish Potato Soup
The best-known and most widely used vegetable in Ireland is, of course, the humble potato. When put into a lovely soup such as this, however, the spud loses its humility.
Ingredients: 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter 1 cup thinly sliced onions 1 cup thinly sliced leeks 4 cups peeled, sliced potatoes 6 cups homemade chicken stock (See recipe below) 1 teaspoon salt 20 turns freshly ground black pepper One half cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese 4 slices crisp-cooked bacon, drained and crumbled bacon one half cup chopped fresh chives
Method: Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over low heat. Add the onions and leeks and stir to cover them with butter. Cover the pot and cook slowly to allow the vegetables to "sweat" - about 20 minutes. Add the potatoes, stir them into the butter, cover the pot, and cook over low heat another 15 minutes. Stir in the stock, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a bubble. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. In a food processor or blender, puree the soup in batches and return it to the pot. Heat thoroughly. Serve garnished with Cheddar cheese, bacon and chives. Serves 8 for a first course.
Potato Onion Soup, Irish-Style Recipe
Hearty and filling, this potato soup gets flavor from onions and herbs. Bacon and chives are used as garnishes. Alternative suggested garnishes include chopped prawns or diced lobster.
INGREDIENTS: * 4 tablespoons butter * 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced * 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced * 3 cups milk * 5-1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or use canned * 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives * 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds * 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, whole * 1 cup light cream * Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste * 2 tablespoons butter * 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour * 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives * 6 slices lean bacon, crisply fried and chopped
PREPARATION: Heat a 6- to 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and onion, and cook gently. Do not let the onion brown. Add the peeled and sliced potatoes, milk, and chicken stock. Add 1/4 cup chives, celery seeds, and thyme. Cover and cook gently for about an hour. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour. Let the flour and butter mixture (roux) bubble for 2 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Thicken the soup with the roux, whisking carefully to avoid lumps. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes and then puree the soup in a food processor or food blender.
Add the cream and gently reheat, but do not boil. Season with the salt and pepper. Serve with additional 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives and the crisply fried bacon as garnishes.
This soup can also be made with the chopped white part of 5 or 6 large leeks instead of onions. Additional garnishes you can use instead of bacon are chopped prawns or a small dice of lobster.