Warm up this winter

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Warm up this winter Posted On 20 January 2017

With the colder days and nights here, warm up your cockles with this hearty winter soup created by chef James Martin.

Parsnip soup with mini crab beignets: Serves 4

Preparation time

Less than 30 minutes

Cooking time

30 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the parsnip soup

50g/2oz butter
500g/1lb 2oz parsnips, peeled, roughly chopped
2 banana shallots, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only
½ tsp curry powder
750ml/1pt 7fl oz chicken stock
75ml/3fl oz double cream, plus extra to garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mini crab beignets

vegetable oil, for frying
125ml/4½fl oz water
50g/2oz butter, diced
75g/3oz plain flour
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 free-range eggs
75g/3oz white crabmeat
25g/1oz brown crabmeat
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh coriander cress
1 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

Method

For the soup, melt half of the butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the parsnips and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
Add the shallots, garlic and thyme and fry for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the curry powder and fry for another minute.
Pour in the chicken stock and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the parsnips are tender.
Add the double cream, cool the soup slightly and blend the soup in a blender until smooth.
Strain the soup through a sieve into a clean saucepan and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in the remaining butter.
For the mini crab beignets, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180C/350F. Alternatively, heat the oil in a deep heavy-based frying pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Heat the water and butter in a saucepan until the mixture boils, then boil for another minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the flour and cayenne with a wooden spoon until smooth, or until the mixture comes away from the side of the pan. Return the pan to the heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well before adding the other egg.
Stir in the white and brown crabmeat until well combined, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe 1.5cm/½in long sections into the oil and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp. Remove the beignets from the pan with a slotted spoon, set aside to drain on kitchen paper and season with salt.
To serve, ladle the soup into soup bowls, scatter over some crab beignet and finish with a swirl of double cream. Drizzle the soup with olive oil and sprinkle over the coriander cress and flaked almonds.

Find this recipe at www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/parsnip_soup_with_mini_24382

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