On warm days, there’s nothing quite like starting a meal with a chilled soup.
People tend to be wary of chilled soups but this recipe for chilled celery, apple and golden marjoram soup is one they’ll all want more of. Golden marjoram grows really well in any herb plot, and the taste is just a little bit different to regular marjoram.
The soup is full of flavour and ideal for serving when you have friends round, and also makes a delicious starter for a barbecue. If you want to impress (and this will make the soup go further) serve the soup in a shot glass or espresso cup as a wee taster. Alternatively serve in a small bowl and garnish with a few small celery leaves, diced apple and a small drop of creme fraiche.
Dessert today is mealie ice cream which may seem unusual, but is a Highland version of brown bread ice cream. The recipe features a lot of the ingredients you’d have in that favourite Scottish pudding, crannachan, such as cream and oatmeal. I’m a big fan of toasted oatmeal and use it as often as I can as it’s a traditional Highland product and adds a lovely nutty flavour to dishes.
The beauty of this dish is that you don’t need an ice cream maker to make this, and it’s a good one to experiment with as, if desired, you could replace some of the oatmeal with a different ingredient such as nuts, or even add a dash of your favourite liqueur. Serve with fresh Scottish raspberries.
While both recipes are very simple to make, they offer a different flavour slant that gives them the wow factor.
CHILLED CELERY,
APPLE AND GOLDEN MARJORAM SOUP
SERVES 4
4 stems of celery, peeled and chopped
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 small bunch of golden marjoram
200ml apple juice
1 tub creme fraiche
8 acidic apples (Granny smith or similar), peeled, cored and chopped
Salt and pepper
Rapeseed oil
In a pressure cooker/deep pot, warm a little rapeseed oil. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook until tender. Season generously.
Add a third of the apple, half of the marjoram, a soup spoon of creme fraiche and the apple juice and cook (as per instruction ) in the pressure cooker for 15-20 minutes or simmer in the pot with a lid for 35 minutes.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes then add the remaining apple and marjoram and another 2 spoons of creme fraiche and blend in a liquidiser until smooth.
Check seasoning, adjust if necessary and pass through a fine sieve. Chill well or serve hot garnished with a few celery leaves, diced apple and creme fraiche.
MEALIE ICE CREAM
MAKES 8-10 SCOOPS
6 egg yolks
120g castor sugar
450ml double cream
2tbsp medium oatmeal, toasted
1tbsp pinhead oatmeal
Firstly, whisk the chilled double cream until just beginning to thicken. Refrigerate.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large glass bowl briefly before placing the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (double boiler) and continuing to whisk thoroughly until the mixture is very thick and pale, taking care not to let the bowl get too hot around the edge as this may cook the mixture and solidify.
Now just gently fold in the whipped double cream and then the oatmeal until equally dispersed, transfer to a metal or plastic container and freeze for at least eight hours before serving.