Broccoli and stilton soup

Everyday gourmet: family feast, 202pp.
by Justine Schofield
CMMA Digital and Print, Rozelle NSW, 2014
Cooking on page 32

This magazine is a spin-off from the popular Australian cooking show, Everyday Gourmet, hosted by Justine Schofield.

In the introduction, Schofield says the 90-plus recipes in the magazine have been handpicked by the team that delivers the show. They had a lot to choose from. The show is in its ninth season and has aired 700 episodes.

Broccoli and stilton soup

Ingredients
350g broccoli florets
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 small potato, diced
600ml chicken stock
300ml milk
3 tbsp double cream
115g stilton cheese, rind removed, crumbled
salt and ground black pepper

Method
Discard any tough stems from the broccoli florets. Set aside two small florets for the garnish.

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–8 minutes, until softened but not coloured.

Add the broccoli and potato and pour in the hot stock. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Leave the soup to cool slightly, then ladle it into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Strain through a sieve back into the rinsed-out pan.

Add the milk and cream, season to taste with salt and pepper and reheat gently. When the soup is hot, stir in the cheese until it just melts, then remove the pan from the heat. Do not let it boil.

Meanwhile, blanch the reserved broccoli florets in lightly salted boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then drain and cut them vertically into thin slices.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each with the sliced broccoli florets and a generous grinding of black pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

How it played out
Yesterday I bought a lovely stilton cheese that was on special (half price) at the market. It weighed just over 90 grams (3 ounces) so I scaled the most of the recipe back a bit. As a guide, I used 300g of broccoli, a small onion, a small leek, half of a larger potato, 500ml of chicken stock, 250ml of milk and 2 1/2 tablespoons of double cream.

I followed the instructions as written, although I puréed the soup with a stick blender.

Verdict
These ingredients go great together. They make a delicious soup that reminds me of a funny story.

Years ago and on a Saturday morning, I made an almost identical soup. Back then, we had a Finnish exchange student living with us. Just before lunch, Eemeli asked if it was okay to have some soup. I said yes. I heard him ladle it up and heat a bowlful in the microwave. It suddenly dawned on me that a teenager might not like broccoli and stilton soup.

‘Eemeli, did you taste that before you heated it up?’ I asked. ‘Oh yes,’ he said, ‘I had some yesterday after school.’ Hang on. I made the broccoli and stilton soup today.

So I had to tell Eemeli that he was eating homemade dog food. I told him it was made with good ingredients—meat, vegetables and barley—but without seasoning. So he added some salt and pepper, and ate it. The dog wasn’t all that happy about sharing his ‘recipe’.

Let me know if you want the dog food recipe.

Eemeli and Aggie discuss food ownership