This is an extravagent soup with incredible depth of flavour! Served with Gruyere toasts and rouille it's also quite substantial. Don't despair at the long list of ingredients - prep time is minimal!
Serves 6
Dry the orange peel by placing in a medium hot oven for 40 miniutes (this will fill your house with a wonderful aroma!)
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan and fry the sliced, clean leeks. Then add the chopped carrot, sliced garlic, diced red pepper and black pepper - fry for around 10 minutes
Add the fennel seeds, orange peel, saffron, tomato puree, soft brown sugar, celeriac and chopped basil and fry for about 5 minutes, until the celeriac is coated
Add the hot stock and 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir well and cook on a brisk simmer for 30-35 minutes until the celeriac is completely soft. Around 8 minutes before the end, add the wine and the 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley.
Blend the soup until very smooth, first in a blender, then with a fine sieve. Then add the remaining soup so that there are some chunky pieces. Return the soup to the pan and add the remaining parsley and olive oil as well as the double cream.
Serve with toasts topped with threaded Gruyere...relax and enjoy the voluptuous wintery flavours...
8 pieces dried orange peel
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 thin leeks
1 carrot
8 garlic cloves
1 small red pepper
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp saffron threads
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1 large head celeriac
2 litres vegetable stock made with 1 tbsp Marigold bouillon powder
250ml dry white wine
6 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp double cream
Half a very fresh baguette
60g Gruyere
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
