TO DRINK: Mooiplaas Chenin Blanc 2009: unwooded, smooth and creamy, with hints of honey, peaches and melon.
Prawn and fennel soup
Ingredients
- 1 litre good-quality fish stock
- 500ml (2 cups) white wine
- 1 fennel bulb, sliced
- 30ml (2 tbsp) oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 8 prawns, cleaned and deveined
- 50ml butter
- 30ml (2 tbsp) cake flour
- 25ml (1 tot) Pernod
- 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
- juice of ½ an orange
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- fennel fronds, to serve
Instructions
Heat the stock, wine and fennel in a pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and leave to cool.
Heat half the oil in a pan and fry the onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Add 4 prawns to the pan and cook until they turn pink. Remove the prawns and onion mixture from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Once cool, place in a food processor with the butter and flour and blend until you have a smooth paste.
Gently heat the prawn paste in a pot over a low heat until it is melted. Slowly add the stock mixture, stirring continuously until well combined. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the Pernod, cream and orange juice. Season and heat through.
In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil and fry the remaining 4 prawns until cooked through.
To serve, place a few fennel fronds in each bowl, pour the hot soup over and top with the cooked prawns and extra black pepper.
