After reconstituting 2 quarts of turkey broth, 2 pounds of peeled organic baby carrots were added, along with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger and 3 split serrano peppers. This was simmered gently for about 40 minutes until the carrots were easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife. To retain the sweetness of the carrots, it's important to avoid overcooking these, so use a low flame and check for doneness frequently. The soup was then pureed with a hand mixer, infused with 12 ounces of half & half, and the flavor was adjusted with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and a slight amount of sea salt. The heat of the serranos should be matched by the flavor of the ginger, but the dominant flavor will be sweet carrots with turkey as an undertone (you don't really know you're tasting turkey unless you look for it, but it just works).
The soup was finished with some crunchy bits of hickory smoked bacon; while this added some texture, the soup's clean flavor was better without it. This was a very successful flavor pairing, we had some extra and my wife was eager to share this with one of her friends who is also an adventurous eater (she was also our guest judge for the Iron Chef Denver - Battle Corn). The Savory Choice brand of stock will soon find a permanent spot in my pantry.
|