Gluten-free fennel cream soup with chili, fennel and pastries

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 large fennel bulbs, large
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 potato(s)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 star anise
• olive oil
• 1 liter chicken stock
• Fleur de Sel
• black pepper, freshly ground
• 100 ml milk
• 100 ml cream
• ½ lime(s), juice
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• ½ pack puff pastry, gluten-free (frozen)
• chili flakes
• Fennel seeds
• cream, whipped
• Fennel greens

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

nice intermediate course in a multi-course menu

For the soup, clean the fennel, trimming off the tough parts and reserving the green parts for garnish. Then dice finely. Peel the potatoes, onion, and garlic and also dice finely. Dry roast the fennel seeds and star anise in a pan until fragrant. Then place them in a tea bag and seal with a clip. Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, then add the fennel and sauté. Pour in the chicken stock, add the garlic, potatoes, a little salt, pepper, and the spices in the tea bag, and simmer over low heat until the fennel is soft. Place a sieve into the stock and remove 2 ladles of stock. This way you have more to add if the soup becomes too thick. Add the cream and milk and puree everything very finely with a hand blender. Make sure you remove the spice bag first. Season the soup with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and the juice of the lime. Whip the cream until stiff and garnish the soup. Place a sprig of fennel green on top. The soup can be prepared a day in advance and gently warmed. However, you should season it with lime and spices afterward. For the biscuits, thaw the puff pastry. Grind the fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle. Roll out the puff pastry and cut out shapes of your choice. The so-called “cup biscuits” are a pretty example. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and sprinkle with fennel seeds and chili flakes. Bake according to the package instructions. Regular puff pastry can also be used. The biscuits can be baked half a day in advance and should be stored in a tin.