Cream of Fennel Soup with Harry's Bar Toasties

By sarah_carroll

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 3 fennel bulbs, trimmed (leaves reserved to garnish), roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 medium potato, peeled, chopped
• 2 tbs almond meal
• 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup thin cream
• 1-2 tbs Pernod, optional
• Harry's Bar toasties
• 225 g gruyere cheese, grated (at room temperature)
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbs cream or milk
• Cayenne pepper, to taste, optional
• 8 slices white bread
• 4 slices leg ham, thinly sliced
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 30 g unsalted butter

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Place the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and fennel and sweat for about 10 minutes (don't allow to colour). Add garlic, potato, almond meal and stock, then bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, then blend in batches and return to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and reheat, stirring gently.

Meanwhile, to make the Harry's Bar toasties, place cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cream in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper (cayenne pepper if you prefer it spicy) and process until combined. Spread onto 4 slices of bread, top with the ham, then the remaining bread.

Heat oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and fry until golden on both sides. Cut into soldiers.

Stir the Pernod into the soup, garnish with a sprig of fennel and serve immediately with the toasties