Anthology

Soups, Sides, and Souffles, Oh My!

by: Casey Pukl

If you’ve been keeping up with the news this week, no doubt you’ve heard about the woman in Sweden who lost her wedding ring 16 years ago only to find it growing in her garden wrapped around a carrot this week! You can read the story here! To say the least, we were all pretty inspired by the story, and in honor of it, Chef Todd Allison and beverage manager, Marc Canzoneri have put together a full meal and cocktail featuring this delicious root vegetable!

For a starter, Chef Todd recommends one of his personal favorite dishes— Carrot Ginger Soup with Scallions. To make the soup, he recommends starting by sautéing some sliced onions in a little bit of butter until they are soft. Then add chicken broth, peeled and chopped carrots, and a bit of grated ginger (1-2 tablespoons). Cover and boil the mixture until the carrots are soft.

Once the carrots are soft, you can carefully blend the mixture. Be very careful when doing this. Blending hot liquids can be tricky, so be sure to vent the lid! Once blended, return the soup to the pan, add a little bit of crème and season to taste with a little salt, pepper, garlic, and whatever else you’d like. Add scallions on top before serving!

For your next course, Chef Todd recommends making a pan seared local Halibut with garlic quinoa and honey mustard glazed baby carrots. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine just started typing that sentence. Start by boiling the carrots until they are a little tender. Once tender, drain them and toss them into a saucepan with a little butter. Then add honey, Dijon mustard, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Thoroughly coat the carrots and toss until fully glazed and heated through.

For dessert, you’re going to have to trust us on this one. Instead of the traditional carrot cake, Chef Todd recommends something a bit more unique. Carrot Souffle can be served either as a side dish (it’s in the sweet potato casserole category on that) or as a dessert. It’s beautiful and tasty. Todd’s tips for making a super soufflé (and if you’ve had the ones he serves up here at Anthology, you’ll know to listen up) include:

1. Make sure the egg whites are stiff!
2. Coat the ramekin in butter and sugar to make sure the soufflé won’t stick to the sides. This is the most important!
3. Fill the dish to within 2cm of the rim. The higher you fill the dish, the higher it will rise!

Chef Todd recommends topping the soufflé with an absinthe crème anglaise.

For those looking for a unique and root-y libation, look no further than Marc’s latest creation, the Twenty/Twenty. I have to admit, I was skeptical at first, but after one sip, I was sold. To make this gorgeous orange creation, you’ll use some Svedka Clementine vodka, ginger liqueur, fresh carrot juice, fresh lime juice, and a tiny bit of simple syrup.  Shake with ice, and strain into a martini glass. You can get creative with the garnish— lime wheels, carrot peels, pig tails. Have fun with it, and be sure to snap a picture and upload it to our Facebook page!