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Easy as pie

Soup and dessert - simple to make, simply delicious to eat.

Serve with salty crispy croutons to elevate this leek and potato soup to another level.
Serve with salty crispy croutons to elevate this leek and potato soup to another level.William Meppem

As well as garnishing with parsley you can also serve the soup with some crumbled blue cheese and crispy pancetta, as pictured. If you prefer, use some grated aged cheddar, a spoon of crème fraîche or pan-fried speck as garnishes.

The soup is also beautiful served cold with crispy salted croutons.


LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

50g unsalted butter

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1 tbsp olive oil

1kg potatoes, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes

1 leek, cut in half, washed well, finely sliced

1 medium brown onion, peeled, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

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2 fresh bay leaves

1 litre fresh chicken stock

1/4 cup cream

sea salt and fresh ground white pepper

2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely shredded, to garnish

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Heat butter and oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the potatoes, leek, onion, garlic and bay leaves and cook on a low heat, stirring frequently until the leeks have softened.

Add the stock and simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove the bay leaves and purée the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir through the cream. Season to taste. Add more chicken stock if necessary to give the desired consistency.

Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with parsley and, if desired, some of the suggestions in Hot Tips (below). Serve with crusty bread.

RHUBARB AND ALMOND CRUMBLE

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2 sheets frozen sweet short crust pastry, thawed

egg wash (1 whole egg and 2 tbsp milk, whisked together)

75g unsalted butter, softened

100g caster sugar

1 large (70g) egg

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yolk of 1 large (70g) egg

75g ground almonds

25g plain flour

3 stalks trimmed rhubarb, cut into 3cm pieces

pure icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

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Bread and oat crumble

70g crustless wholemeal bread, blended into medium crumbs

40g rolled oats

30g demerara sugar

generous pinch ground cinnamon

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80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled


Preheat oven to 180°C.

Spray a 24cm loose-bottom fluted flan tin with oil.

Lightly flour a bench. Place the 2 pieces of the short crust pastry on top of one another and roll out so that the pastry is 2cm wider than the tart tin. Roll the pastry over your rolling pin and gently ease it into the tin, pushing the pastry in gently so it follows the fluting. Place in refrigerator and rest for 30 minutes.

Line the tart case with baking paper and rice and blind-bake for 20 minutes. Remove the rice and baking paper and brush the pastry shell with egg wash. Cook for a further 10 minutes.

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For the crumble, combine breadcrumbs in a small bowl with the oats, sugar and cinnamon and mix to combine. Drizzle over melted butter and mix well with your hands to evenly coat dry ingredients. Set aside.

Increase the oven to 200°C.

Cream butter and sugar in a food processor. Add eggs and yolk until thoroughly incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in ground almonds and flour. Tip into blind baked case and scatter with the rhubarb. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove tart from oven and decrease oven to 180°C. Scatter crumble topping over tart then bake for a further 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate until firm before cutting with a sharp serrated knife. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, if desired.

HOT TIP

• For the crumble, you can add some seasonal fruit – pear, apple or raspberries – to the rhubarb. This dish, which can be made ahead of time, is great for dessertphobic cooks.

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SOMETHING TO DRINK

Sherry
Something different but very classic, this beautifully crafted Sánchez Romate Don José Oloroso sherry ($42) has freshness and savouriness as well as a hint of walnut. Soft and elegant, it will be greatly appreciated with this starter.

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