From Scratch

I have a rule: only one carrot item per Easter dinner.  It’s not that I don’t especially like carrots — I love them — but the holiday, after all, is not about a mythical bunny. In fact, if I didn’t love carrots, I might banish them from the Easter menu just to avoid any suggestion of incipient bunnyness.

I enjoy a soup course for a special meal and this is an absolute winner from Jacques Pepin, who can do no wrong in my eyes. His website is in the Links.

Some of his soup recipes are among my favorites. They’re big on flavor and eye appeal and use just a few good ingredients, simply prepared. Isn’t that true of so many delicious dishes? This one uses a touch of sesame oil, which gives it a unique taste. Almost nobody can guess what the ingredient is.

This will be on my table again this Easter. I’ll start it Easter morning — Mr. Knife Skills has to have something to chop — but if you’re getting a head start, this is a good candidate to make ahead. It freezes well. When I freeze it, I do so after it’s pureed but wait until it’s back on the stove to add the dairy products and Tabasco. This is from Jacques Pepin Celebrates.

 Velvet of Carrot With Browned Almonds

1 3/4  pounds  carrots — peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
4  cups  chicken stock — preferably homemade
2 teaspoons  sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon  salt
1 teaspoon  sugar
1/2 cup  heavy cream
1/2 cup  milk
1/4  teaspoon  Tabasco or other red-pepper sauce
GARNISHES:
2 teaspoons  unsalted butter
1/4 cup  sliced almonds
1/8 teaspoon  salt
dash  cayenne pepper
finely chopped chives

Bring the carrots, chicken stock sesame oil, salt, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan set over high heat. When boiling, reduce the heat to low, and boil gently for 45 minutes. Puree until smooth in a food processor.  (I use a hand blender right in the pot.) (Yield 5 cups.)

For the garnishes: Heat the butter in a small skillet, and add the sliced almonds. Cook for about 2 minutes, tossing the almonds in the butter so they are browned on all sides. Mix in the salt and cayenne, and transfer to a plate.

At serving time, return the puree to the saucepan, add the cream, milk, and Tabasco, and reheat. Divide among six soup plates, sprinkle the almonds and chives on top, and serve immediately.

Jacques’ Notes: “The smoothness of this carrot soup is offset by its crunchy browned almond garnish. The soup has an appealing sesame accent, and both the soup and the garnish have a touch of hotness, provided by a little Tabasco sauce and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. Add more or less of these two ingredients, as your personal taste dictates.”

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