Caxton magazines staffWhen Cape Town caterer Annalize Buchanan ([email protected]) entertains you can be sure there’ll be an abundance of food and fun
INGREDIENTS
- 10g butter
- 400g flat black mushrooms, chopped
- 280g porcini mushrooms, chopped
- 45ml thyme, chopped
- 45ml parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 litres good chicken/vegetable stock
- pinch nutmeg
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 300ml cream
- 100g Parmesan, grated
- Parmesan shavings and sautéed mushrooms (optional), to serve
For the tempura celery leaves:
- 100g rice flour
- pinch salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- 250ml soda water
- 1 egg white
- oil, for deep frying
- 30 celery leaves with a little of the stalk attached
METHOD
1. Melt the butter in a very large thick-bottomed saucepan. Add the mushrooms, thyme and most of the parsley. Cook gently till soft and mushy. Add the crushed garlic, stir well and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the stock and nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly for 10 minutes.
3. To make the tempura batter for the celery leaves: mix the rice flour, salt, pepper, soda water and egg white together and chill for 10–15 minutes. Check the seasoning.
4. To fry the tempura: heat the oil to 150°C. Dip the celery leaves in the batter so they’re lightly covered; shake off any excess and deep fry for 4 minutes or until golden.
5. Liquidise the soup with the cream, grated Parmesan and the rest of the parsley. Serve warm topped with Parmesan shavings, tempura celery leaves and some sautéed mushrooms.
This recipe serves 10.
