Recipe - Addictive Cream Of Broccoli Soup

2 Fresh broccoli; (each about
3in. bottom diameter)
One half pound Butter
2 Cloves garlic; chopped, (up
to 6)
1 tablespoon Chervil; (fresh/dried
chopped)
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon White pepper
3 cup Milk; (fullcream milk)
1 md Egg yolk; beaten
One fourth cup Flour
1/8 teaspoon Cardamom
1/8 teaspoon Mace
1 cup Heavy cream; (whipping)
1/3 cup Gruyere cheese; (fresh,
grate fine)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese; (grate to
powder)

(1) Cut broccoli into bitesize pieces. Discard the hard stem pieces, but
: keep tender leaves and stem parts.

(2) Steam the cut broccoli for about 58 minutes, until just bright green
: in color. Do not over cook.

(3) In a 10inch enameled (nonmetal) skillet, heat 6 ounce of butter until
: melted. Add chopped garlic and wait until butter is hot enough to
: cook in. Add steamed broccoli, then chervil to the skillet. Lightly
: salt the broccoli.

(4) Cover, and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally with a
: wooden spoon, for another 510 minutes or until the broccoli turns a
: darker green color and becomes very soft.

(5) Mash the broccoli right in the skillet until no large pieces remain.
: Use a potato masher or a strong wooden spoon. Mash until there are no
: pieces remaining that are too big to fit in a soup spoon.

(6) While broccoli is cooking, add beaten egg yolk to
2 cups of milk.

(7) Put 3 Tbsp butter into a 23 quart saucepan. Use enamel or glass for
: best soup flavor. Metal pans will make this soup bitter. Melt butter
: and add flour. When the flour bubbles and starts to cook, add the
: egg/milk mixture into the saucepan. Add the cardamom, mace, and white
: pepper. Stir con tents of saucepan constantly with wooden spoon
: until thick. Lower the cooking heat.

(8) Empty the mashed broccoli mixture into the sau cepan. Stir until
: wellmixed. Slowly stir in the remaining milk and the cream. As soon
: as the soup becomes hot enough to cook again, add the grated cheeses.

(9) Turn the heat down lower and simmer for about 5 more minutes, stirring
: to allow the cheeses to melt and mix while the table is being set.
: Serve immediately and retire quickly so as not to be trampled by those
: who smelled it cooking.

NOTES This recipe may be doubled, halved or whatever without penalty. Vary
: the amount of milk added the second time to change the soup thickness
: to your own tastes. You also may use any fresh green vegetable as a
: substitute for the broccoli. Asparagus tips, artichoke hearts, and corn
are especially nice. Cook them in the same way as you did the broccoli. Use
any leftover butter on the hard French finger rolls.
Posted to MMRecipes Digest V5 #009 by "John Weber" hdbrer@ibm.net on Jan
08, 98