Addictive Cream of Broccoli Soup

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

2 fresh broccoli (each about 3-in. bottom diameter) 1/2 lb butter 2 to 6
cloves garlic, chopped 1 tb Chervil (fresh/dried chopped) 1 ts salt 1 ts
white pepper 3 c milk (full-cream milk) 1 md egg yolk, beaten 1/4 c flour
1/8 ts cardamom 1/8 ts mace 1 c heavy cream (whipping) 1/3 c Gruyere cheese
(fresh,
grate fine) 1/3 c parmesan cheese (grate to
powder)
(1)  Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces.  Discard the hard stem pieces, but
keep tender leaves and stem parts.
(2)  Steam the cut broccoli for about 5-8 minutes, until just bright green
in color.  Do not over- cook.
(3)  In a 10-inch enameled (non-metal) skillet, heat 6 oz of butter until
melted.  Add chopped garlic and wait until butter is hot enough to
cook in. Add steamed broccoli, then chervil to the skillet. Lightly
salt the broccoli.
(4)  Cover, and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally with a
wooden spoon, for another 5-10 minutes or until the broccoli turns a
darker green color and becomes very soft.
(5)  Mash the broccoli right in the skillet until no large pieces remain.
Use a potato masher or a strong wooden spoon.  Mash until there are no
pieces remaining that are too big to fit in a soup spoon.
(6)  While broccoli is cooking, add beaten egg yolk to 2 cups of milk.
(7)  Put 3 Tbsp butter into a 2-3 quart saucepan.  Use enamel or glass for
best soup flavor.  Metal pans will make this soup bitter. Melt butter
and add flour.  When the flour bubbles and starts to cook, add the
egg/milk mixture into the saucepan.  Add the cardamom, mace, and white
pepper.  Stir con- tents of saucepan constantly with wooden spoon
until thick. Lower the cooking heat.
(8)  Empty the mashed broccoli mixture into the sau- cepan. Stir until
well-mixed. Slowly stir in the remaining milk and the cream. As soon
as the soup becomes hot enough to cook again, add the grated cheeses.
(9)  Turn the heat down lower and simmer for about 5 more minutes, stirring
to allow the cheeses to melt and mix while the table is being set.
Serve immediately and retire quickly so as not to be trampled by those
who smelled it cooking.
NOTES This recipe may be doubled, halved or whatever without penalty. Vary
the amount of milk added the second time to change the soup thickness
to your own tastes.  You also may use any fresh green vegetable as a
substitute for the broc- coli. Asparagus tips, artichoke hearts, and
corn are espe- cially nice.  Cook them in the same way as you did the
broc- coli.  Use any leftover butter on the hard French finger rolls.
CONTRIBUTOR George Robertson Fort Worth, Texas
Copyright (C) 1987 USENET

A Message from our Provider:

“If God is your Copilot – swap seats!”