Soup Cookbook

Directions

• True shallots (echalotes) are gradually becoming more widely available.
• They look rather like a large, loose head of garlic with glossy red-brown skin.
• Clean and peel 12 large Jerusalem artichokes.
• Put a little olive oil in a roasting pan, add the artichokes and roast in a medium oven until golden, a little caramelized and cooked through – about 20 minutes.
• Peel and slice 12 cloves of true shallots.
• Brush 28 scallops lightly with oil on both sides.
• Have ready 4 kaffir lime leaves (or substitute zest from the limes).
• Wash 8 wing beans (or substitute 4 very small bok choys about 10 cms tall – halve them lengthwise) and blanch in boiling water.
• Put the blanched vegetables in 4 large bowls (pasta bowls or similar), together with the whole roasted artichokes, and scatter the sliced shallots over the top.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan com- bine 600 mL fish stock, the juice of 3 limes, Thai fish sauce to taste (about 2 tablespoons) and pepper to taste and bring to the boil.
• Heat an iron grill or heavy frying pan to a very high heat.
• Do not grease.
• Throw in the oiled scallops and sear them very quickly on both sides, so that they take colour on the outside but are barely warm inside.
• Divide the scallops between the soup bowls, top with the lime leaves and pour in the broth.
• Serve.
• From an article by Meryl Constance in The Sydney Morning Herald, 6/8/93.
• Courtesy Mark Herron.
• File ftp://www.idiscover.
• co.
• uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdjaxxx.biz