Watercress soup

 
                              WATERCRESS SOUP
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 4    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Soups
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    1                    Watercress bunch
      1/2   md           Onion, coarsely
                         -chopped
    1       md           Potato, roughly
                         -diced
      1/2                Garlic clove, chopped
      1/2   oz           Butter (or your
                         -favourite oil
                         -or margarine)
    3       c            Water
    1       tb           Heavy cream
                         -(or whipping cream)
    1       oz           Black caviar (lump
                         -fish roe is fine)
    4                    Water biscuits
                         -(bite-size)
    1       pn           Salt and pepper
                         -(to taste)
 
   Gently fry onion and garlic in a small amount of
   butter until transparent. Season lightly with salt and
   pepper, and add water and potato and boil until soft.
   
   Pick over watercress and chop 4 or five sprigs and set
   them aside.  Put onion and potato mixture in blender
   and puree. Add most of watercress, blend, re-season to
   taste and return to heat.
   
   Bring mixture to boil and simmer for 2 or three
   minutes.  Stir gently to prevent soup from sticking to
   bottom.  Remove from heat.
   
   This is the decision point.  Either set aside to cool,
   then chill, or carry on to serve the soup hot.
   
   Stir in cream and chopped watercress.  Heap a teaspoon
   of caviar on each of the water biscuits and float one
   on each bowl of soup immediately prior to serving.
   
   NOTES:
   
   *  Watercress soup, hot or cold -- This thick, creamy
   soup is equally good whether served hot or cold.  I
   have had watercress soup in restaurants, and my mother
   sometimes makes it, too, but this recipe is my own
   interpretation of the idea. Yield: Serves 4.
   
   *  Use the minimum amount of butter, oil, or margarine
   that will turn the onion transparent.  Those who are
   particularly diet-conscious could dispense with this
   step, and with the cream. Don't overdo the garlic, 1/2
   a small clove is ample since it is a background
   flavour, not one that you should be aware of.
   
   *  A caution regarding seasoning.  Potatoes absorb a
   lot of salt so you may find it under-salted.  The
   caviar on the other hand, is very salty.  This, for
   me, is a delightful and important contrast. Guests can
   always add extra salt if they choose.
   
   *  Water biscuits are made by Carr's, amongst others,
   and can be found in most supermarkets, possibly in the
   gourmet food section. They are variously known as
   water biscuits, water crackers and table water
   crackers. To my mind the best for eating with cheese
   are the high-bake ones, but the regular type are
   better for this recipe. If you can't find them, then
   any round dry bland low-salt cracker will do.
   
   *  A 2 oz jar of lumpfish caviar costs a little under
   $3.00, but it does keep in the fridge so you can get
   two batches of four servings from one jar.  I suppose
   if budget is a prime consideration one could dispense
   with the caviar, too, but that would be like serving a
   martini without the olives. (Treasonable.)
   
   : Difficulty:  easy to moderate.
   : Time:  20 minutes of preparation, 1/2 hour of
   simmering. : Precision:  Approximate measurement OK.
   
   : Marcus G Hand.
   : AT&T Information Systems, Holmdel NJ
   : ihnp4!mtunh!mgh
   
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