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Recipe for "watercresssoup"

NAME

     WATERCRESSSOUP - Watercress soup, hot or cold
     This thick, creamy soup is equally good whether  served  hot
     or  cold.  I have had watercress soup in restaurants, and my
     mother sometimes makes it, too, but this recipe  is  my  own
     interpretation of the idea.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

     1 bunch   watercress
     1/2       onion (medium sized, coarsely chopped.)
     1         potato (medium sized, roughly diced.)
     1/2 clove garlic (chopped)
     15 ml     butter (or your favourite oil or margarine)
     750 ml    water
     15 ml     heavy cream (Whipping cream is  roughly  the  same
               thing)
     30 g      black caviar (lump fish roe is fine.)
     4         water biscuits (bite size)
     pinch     salt and pepper (to taste)

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Gently fry onion and garlic in a small  amount  of
               butter until transparent.
          (2)  Season lightly with salt and pepper, and add water
               and potato and boil until soft.
          (3)  Pick over watercress and chop 4 or five sprigs and
               set  them  aside.   Pur  e  the onion mixture in a
               blender.  Add most of watercress, blend, re-season
               to taste and return to heat.
          (4)  Bring mixture to boil and simmer for  2  or  three
               minutes.   Stir gently to prevent soup from stick-
               ing to bottom.  Remove from heat.
          This is the decision point.  Either set aside to  cool,
          then chill, or carry on to serve the soup hot.
          (5)  Stir in cream and chopped watercress.  Heap a tea-
               spoon  of caviar on each of the water biscuits and
               float one on each bowl of soup  immediately  prior
               to serving.

NOTES

     Use the minimum amount of butter,  oil,  or  margarine  that
     will turn the onion transparent.  Those who are particularly
     diet-conscious could dispense with this step, and  with  the
     cream.   Don't overdo the garlic, 1/2 a small clove is ample
     since it is a background flavour, not one that you should be
     aware of.
     A caution regarding seasoning.  Potatoes  absorb  a  lot  of
     salt  so  you  may  find  it undersalted.  The caviar on the
     other hand, is very salty.  This, for me,  is  a  delightful
     and important contrast.  Guests can always add extra salt if
     they choose.
     Water biscuits are made by Carr's, amongst others,  and  can
     be  found in most supermarkets, possibly in the gourmet food
     section.  They are variously known as water biscuits,  water
     crackers  and table water crackers.  To my mind the best for
     eating with cheese are the high-bake ones, but  the  regular
     type  are  better  for this recipe.  If you can't find them,
     then any round dry bland low-salt cracker will do.
     A 60 g jar of lumpfish caviar costs a  little  under  $3.00,
     but it does keep in the fridge so you can get two batches of
     four servings from one jar.  I suppose if budget is a  prime
     consideration  one  could dispense with the caviar, too, but
     that would be like serving a martini without the olives.

RATING

     Difficulty: easy to moderate.  Time: 20 minutes of  prepara-
     tion,  1/2  hour of simmering.  Precision: Approximate meas-
     urement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Marcus G Hand.
     AT&T Information Systems, Holmdel NJ
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