Recipe
March 19, 2014
Creamy Spring Garlic Soup With Petit Gris Beignets Recipe

For The Escargots:
Step 1: Rinse with cold water until it runs clear. Cut off and discard the entrails (tortillon).
For the Purple Potato Discs:
Step 1: Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4″-think slices. Use a 1″-diameter ring cutter to punch out 24 discs.
Step 2: In a small saucepan, combine the discs, garlic and thyme and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a light simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a cake tester.
Step 3: Remove from the heat to cool at room temperature in the liquid. Reserve in the liquid, chilled.
For The Spring Garlic Confit:
Step 1: Cut the stems from the spring garlic, peel away any damaged outer layers, and cut them on a bias to make 24 1″ batons.
Step 2: Trim the 16 bulbs into 1/2″ lengths and season them with salt and pepper. In a small saucepan over medium heat, submerge the batons and bulbs in the olive oil.
Step 3: Cook at 185°F for 1 hour, or until tender. Keep warm.
For The Creamy Spring Garlic Soup:
Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side.
Step 2: Add the fiddlehead ferns and boil for 3 minutes, or until tender, and chill in the ice water; pat dry and reserve for finishing. Add the parsley leaves and boil for 45 seconds, then chill in the ice water; squeeze dry and reserve.
Step 3: Brown the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the spring garlic, onion and sachet and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the potato, chicken stock and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to a light simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Remove the sachet and add the cream.
Step 5: Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the parsley, and puree until smooth (you may need to do this in batches). Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately or transfer to a bowl set over ice; stir to chill. When ready to serve, reheat the soup.
To Finish:
Step 1: Fill one-third of a medium saucepan with canola oil and heat to 350°F.
Step 2: Transfer the purple potatoes with their liquid to a saucepan, place over medium heat, and stir until heated through. Strain the snails and pat dry.
Step 3: Dip 24 of the snails into the tempura batter to coat, transfer to the oil with a fork, and fry until golden brown (you will need to do this in batches).
Step 4: Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray and sprinkle with salt. Spoon 2 tbsp of the spring garlic confit oil into a small sauté pan and warm over medium heat. Toss in the reserved fiddlehead ferns and remaining snails to heat through; season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: For each serving, ladle some of the soup into a bowl with a flat, wide rim. Float 3 batons of spring garlic stem confit, 3 fiddlehead ferns and 3 sautéed snails on the soup.
Step 6: Arrange 3 purple potato discs in a line on the rim of the bowl and top each with a tempura escargot. Place two spring garlic confit bulbs in between the potatoes. Garnish with 2 miner’s lettuce leaves.
See more recipes from Daniel: My French Cuisine.
Recipe from Daniel: My French Cuisine by Daniel Boulud. Copyright © 2013 by Daniel Boulud. Used with permission by Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.
Directions
Yield:
For The Escargots:
Step 1: Rinse with cold water until it runs clear. Cut off and discard the entrails (tortillon).
For the Purple Potato Discs:
Step 1: Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4″-think slices. Use a 1″-diameter ring cutter to punch out 24 discs.
Step 2: In a small saucepan, combine the discs, garlic and thyme and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a light simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a cake tester.
Step 3: Remove from the heat to cool at room temperature in the liquid. Reserve in the liquid, chilled.
For The Spring Garlic Confit:
Step 1: Cut the stems from the spring garlic, peel away any damaged outer layers, and cut them on a bias to make 24 1″ batons.
Step 2: Trim the 16 bulbs into 1/2″ lengths and season them with salt and pepper. In a small saucepan over medium heat, submerge the batons and bulbs in the olive oil.
Step 3: Cook at 185°F for 1 hour, or until tender. Keep warm.
For The Creamy Spring Garlic Soup:
Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side.
Step 2: Add the fiddlehead ferns and boil for 3 minutes, or until tender, and chill in the ice water; pat dry and reserve for finishing. Add the parsley leaves and boil for 45 seconds, then chill in the ice water; squeeze dry and reserve.
Step 3: Brown the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the spring garlic, onion and sachet and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the potato, chicken stock and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to a light simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Remove the sachet and add the cream.
Step 5: Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the parsley, and puree until smooth (you may need to do this in batches). Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately or transfer to a bowl set over ice; stir to chill. When ready to serve, reheat the soup.
To Finish:
Step 1: Fill one-third of a medium saucepan with canola oil and heat to 350°F.
Step 2: Transfer the purple potatoes with their liquid to a saucepan, place over medium heat, and stir until heated through. Strain the snails and pat dry.
Step 3: Dip 24 of the snails into the tempura batter to coat, transfer to the oil with a fork, and fry until golden brown (you will need to do this in batches).
Step 4: Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray and sprinkle with salt. Spoon 2 tbsp of the spring garlic confit oil into a small sauté pan and warm over medium heat. Toss in the reserved fiddlehead ferns and remaining snails to heat through; season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: For each serving, ladle some of the soup into a bowl with a flat, wide rim. Float 3 batons of spring garlic stem confit, 3 fiddlehead ferns and 3 sautéed snails on the soup.
Step 6: Arrange 3 purple potato discs in a line on the rim of the bowl and top each with a tempura escargot. Place two spring garlic confit bulbs in between the potatoes. Garnish with 2 miner’s lettuce leaves.
See more recipes from Daniel: My French Cuisine.
Recipe from Daniel: My French Cuisine by Daniel Boulud. Copyright © 2013 by Daniel Boulud. Used with permission by Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.