Green cabbage soup in North Freesland

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 900 g kale, fresh, on the stalk, from the farmer, yields approx. 500 g destemmed and plucked
• 4 m.-large shallot(s), peeled and finely diced
• 100 g smoked streaky bacon, cut into fine cubes
• 1 clove(s) garlic, fresh, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• 300 ml chicken broth
• 150 ml whole milk
• 150 ml whipped cream
• 1 tbsp, levelled sugar
• n. B. Sea salt and black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tbsp, heaped butter
• 400 g fish fillet(s) of your choice, e.g. zander, tench, halibut, pollock, salmon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ lemon(s), organic, zest
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• some salt
• some parsley leaves, flat, coarsely chopped
• Pumpkin seed oil, as desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Kale soup in the version from Fiefhusen

The best place to buy fresh kale is from your local farm shop. But in a pinch, you can also use the vegetable section of your supermarket. First, remove any large stems, then tear the cabbage into small pieces. Also remove any remaining leaf veins. Ideally, you’ll have 500g of trimmed kale left over for the soup. Now bring a sufficiently large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the kale, uncovered, and bring to a boil briefly. Then put the lid on and simmer gently over low heat for about seven minutes. Now, using a slotted spoon, transfer the kale from the pot directly to a bowl of iced water to refresh. This immediately interrupts the cooking process and preserves the rich green color. In a large saucepan, heat the rapeseed oil and pumpkin seed oil to ¾ heat and sauté the shallot, garlic, and bacon cubes until translucent, stirring frequently, until the cubes begin to brown and a light sediment forms in the pan. Add half of the kale and the sugar, mix thoroughly, and heat through. Deglaze with the chicken stock and bring to a boil briefly. Add the milk and cream and simmer gently for five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining cabbage, cayenne pepper, and butter. Then purée the soup thoroughly with a hand blender. You can now adjust the mouthfeel to your liking. I personally prefer a certain chunkiness, but it also tastes better puréed or, in the finest version, passed through a fine sieve. Season the soup with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper and keep warm. Cut the fish fillet into bite-sized pieces and marinate briefly (about 5 minutes) with a little salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Heat rapeseed oil and butter in a non-stick pan to ¾ heat, add the fish pieces, and fry for about five minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown. Do not overcook, and ensure the fish pieces remain moist and translucent on the inside. Serve the soup in warmed bowls and arrange the fried fish pieces on top, without submerging them in the soup. A feast for the eyes, and the fish must remain visible. Garnish with a few leaves of flat-leaf parsley and a few drops of pumpkin seed oil.