Cauliflower Soup with Melted Stilton
&Caramelised Onions

Serves: to serve 6

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 50 Minutes

Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

1 oz - butter

1 tablespoon - olive oil

4 cloves - garlic

2 medium - onions

2 - bay leaves

1 sprig - fresh thyme

1½ lb - potatoes

1 medium - cauliflower

1¾ pints - chicken stock

1½ pints - semi-skimmed milk

1 pinch - freshly-grated nutmeg

5 oz - Stilton cheese

  - alt and pepper

FOR CARAMELISED ONIONS:

2 tablespoons - duck or goose fat

2 medium-sized - onions

Directions

  1. Peel and crush the garlic. Peel and slice the onion. Peel the potatoes and cut into slices about ½" (1cm) thick. Cut away the thick stems and break the cauliflower into medium florets.
  2. Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan and add the crushed garlic and sliced onion. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until soft (don't let the onions brown). Add the bay leaves, thyme sprig, potatoes and cauliflower and stir together.
  3. Pour in the chicken stock and the milk and bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and partially cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, then remove the herbs.
  4. Meanwhile, make the caramelised onions. Peel and slice the onions, then heat the fat in a medium, non-stick frying pan over a gentle heat and add the onions. Stir well so the onions are coated in the fat (you can use olive oil if you prefer) and leave to cook very gently for about 15-20 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.
  5. Blend the soup until it is smooth, either using a hand held blender in the pan, or in a food processor and then return it to the pan. Season with nutmeg, a little freshly ground black pepper and salt (taste it first, because you won't need much - you're going to be adding Stilton, which is quite salty already). If it seems a little too thick, stir in a bit more milk.
  6. Crumble the stilton and stir it into the soup so it just starts to melt. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with some of the caramelised onions. Serve immediately with warm Rye, sourdough or crusty white bread.