Cold Fennel Soup Soup “An abundance of fresh fennel in our estate garden is the inspiration for this chilled soup. The bright acidity of our Sauvignon Blanc cuts through the soup’s rich cream, the result is a pure pleasure.” – Tim Gleadall, AVV Culinary Director & Chef – Serves 4 – Ingredients: 3 small bulbs of fennel, trimmed (save several fronds for garnish and stems for broth) 4 Tbsp. butter 2 12-oz. cartons of vegetable broth 2 bay leaves 3 sprigs of fresh thyme ½ lemon, seeded 1 tsp. peppercorns ¼ cup crème fraiche ½ cup heavy cream Salt and white pepper, to taste Pink peppercorn flakes and fennel fronds for garnish Method of Preparation: Slice trimmed fennel into ¼″ pieces and sauté in butter, using low heat, until nearly translucent. Do not brown. Set aside. Add broth, bay leaves, thyme, lemon, peppercorns, fennel stems and sauteéd fennel to a 4 quart sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once the mixture has cooled to room temp, pureé thoroughly in a blender, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container. Add crème fraiche and heavy cream, incorporating well. Add salt and white pepper to taste, then refrigerate until chilled. Serve very cold with garnish of fennel fronds and pink peppercorn flakes.
