Olive and fig jam straws with hearty potato soup
Potato soup, while hearty and delicious, is quite understated and simple and I felt the need to accessorise it for my first course of the year.
And so began a few days of trying out every possible soup accompaniment.
From pesto bruschetta to parmesan croutons, toasted nuts and seeds to herbed butters, I was unable to find a fabulous hat for my soup.
After trying a few “straw” fillings, I grabbed a jar of Klooveburg Olive Jam (which I eat straight from the jar as if it were Nutella) and Voila!
Potato and olive was a match made in frozen pastry heaven.
Besides the unusual combination and contrast in texture, it is also a showy and simple way to add instant style to an earthy potato soup.
OLIVE AND FIG JAM STRAWS (16)
1 roll frozen puff pastry
1 bottle Kloovenburg olive and fig jam (use about 2/3 of the bottle though ½ is also sufficient)
Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1. Defrost the pastry in the fridge, remove and unroll, but do not roll out.
2. Spread the olive jam onto the pastry
3. With the long side of the pastry horizontal, slice it in half and slice each half into half again
4. Take each of the 4 strips and slice into 2 then slice across horizontally in the middle making 16 strips
5. Twist each strip of pastry, making sure most of the jam is twisted into the middle
6. Brush each completed strip with beaten egg and sprinkle parmesan on top
7. Bake at 180 ˚C for about 20-30 minutes or until crispy and golden but not over cooked and dry
POTATO SOUP (4-6)
1 small bunch of leeks
6 potatoes peeled and roughly cut
1 teaspoon garlic
1 L chicken stock made with 4 Tablespoon Ina Paarman stock powder or 1 tablespoon NoMu Chicken fond
125 ml buttermilk, cream or Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
olive oil
1. Slice the leeks and fry them in the olive oil, in a pot
2. Add the fresh thyme, garlic and potatoes and then stir in the stock
3. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft
4. Blend the potatoes and add the mustard and cream or buttermilk
5. Be careful not to over blend the potatoes
- Fresh pea and baby marrow soup with crème fraiche and basil
- Butternut soup with 2 styles and 2 pestos
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