Cream of Parsnip Soup W/crab Meat and Wild Mushroom Pt 1

Title:
Cream of Parsnip Soup W/crab Meat and Wild Mushroom Pt 1

Yield:
8 Servings

Categories:
Morning,
America




Ingredients:





     1 tb Olive oil


     2 c  Minced onions


          Salt


          Freshly ground white pepper


     3 lb Fresh parsnips; peeled and


          -medium diced


     1 tb Chopped garlic


     8 c  Chicken stock


   1/2 c  Heavy cream; (optional), up


          -to 1


          Fried parsnip strips


     1    Recipe Crab Relish


     1 ts Finely chopped fresh parsley






 In a gallon stock pot, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions.


 Season the onions with salt and pepper. Saut? the onions for 2 to 3 minutes


 or until wilted. Add the vegetables and garlic. Season with salt and


 pepper. Stir in the stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat


 to a simmer and continue to cook for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are


 very tender, stirring occasionally. Using a blender, puree the soup until


 smooth. Slowly stir in the cream. Reseason with salt and pepper if needed.


 To serve, ladle the soup into the individual bowls. Peel strips of parsnip


 with a vegetable peeler. Fry peeled parsnips in vegetable oil and drain


 with a paper towel. Mound the parsnip strips in the center of each bowl.


 Place a spoonful of the relish in the center of each parsnip mound. Garnish


 with parsley. Serve warm.


 


 Crab Meat and Wild Mushroom Relish: 1 tablespoon butter 1 ear of sweet corn


 2 cups Exotic mushrooms, such as chanterelles, shiitakes, lobster, hedge


 hogs, etc. salt freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1/2


 pound lump crab meat, shelled and picked over for cartilage 1/4 cup chopped


 green onions, green part only 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley


 leaves


 


 In a saut? pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Using a sharp knife,


 remove the kernels from the corn cob (about 1/2 cup). Add the corn and


 mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Saut? the vegetables for 2 to 3


 minutes, or until slightly wilted . Add the garlic, crab meat and green


 onions. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to saut? for 1 minute. Remove


 from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serve warm. Yields: About 1 1/2 to
2


 cups.


 


 Vegetables That Can Be Substituted For Parsnips


 


 General - Idaho potatoes, new potatoes, fingerling potatoes, purple


 potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes.


 


 Beets - Commonly known as the garden beet, this firm, round root vegetable


 has leafy green tops, which are also edible and highly nutritious. The most


 common color for beets (called beatroots in the British Isles) is a garnet


 red. However, they can range in color from deep red to white, the most


 intriguing being the Chioggia (also called candy cane) with its concentric


 rings of red and white. Beets are found year round and should be chosen by


 their firmness and smooth skins. In addition to the garden beet, the


 spinach or leaf beet (swiss chard), the sugar beet and the mangold.


 


 Parsnip - A sweet root vegetable similar to the carrot in shape, with a


 creamy-white root. Native to Europe but now found in the U.S. They are


 available all year, but are at their peak during the fall and winter.


 Almost any cooking method can be used, including caking, boiling, saut?ing


 and steaming. Boiling is the most common method.


 


 Turnip - This root is very popular in Great Britain and northern Europe.


 The white fleshed turnip has a white skin with a purple-tinged top. The


 yellow turnip is actually a turnip relative of the Rutabaga. They are


 available all year with peak season from October to February. The turnip


 can be boiled or steamed, then mashed or pureed.


 


 Scorzonera (Black Salsify) - This black flesh root vegetable is also known


 as ?oyster plant? because its taste resembles a delicately flavored oyster.


 Salsify is shaped like a parsnip and can reach 12 inches in length and 2


 1/2 inches in diameter. This root is very common in Europe but can be found


 in the U.S. from June to February. Found commonly in Italian and Greek


 markets. Salsify is generally eaten plain as a vegetable or used in savory


 pies and soups.


 


 Daikon Radish - From the Japanese word dai for large and kon for root. This


 vegetable is a large Asian radish with a sweet, flesh flavor. The flesh is


 crisp, juicy and white, while the skin can be either creamy white or black


 and ranges from 6 to 15 inches in length and 2 to 3 inches in diameter.


 They are usually raw in salads, shredded as a garnish or stir-fry.


 


 continued in part 2