Chefex (Chef Express): Gordon Ramsay's Lentil & Foie Gras Soup !

 I would like to thank all of you for the warm welcome to my Chefex idea!!! So, in appreciation, here comes my second Chefex dish, in fact an elegant, no time soup, suitable for Thanksgiving or Christmas...!

Lentil soup with foie gras is one of my winter favorites! I had never thought about it for my blog...certain obvious things don't come to your mind...A few weeks ago, I was in London, and I went to have dinner to one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants.I open the menu...and there it was...Lentil soup with Foie gras...and I must tell you the truth !!! I thought: "Oh, an English chef doing something SO French? Why not? After all, Gordon Ramsay impresses clients in his restaurant with a menu almost purely French...(yes, Queen Elizabeth II, forgive him, please!! don't behead him for treason!!!) So, if it is good for Gordon and his clients..it is also good for Cristina and her readers...n'est-ce pas? 

Of course, Mr Ramsay didn't give me his recipe !!! but my soup tastes just like his, believe me! In his menu, "à la carte", he points out he is using Puy lentils..."Oh là là, Gordon!! That is classy!!" I'm using the same lentils here!!! Yes, I know...Mr Ramsay doesn't use chicken stock in cubes, as I will tell you to do (I hope!)...no, in fact I detected some vegetables (carrots, etc) cut in fine and accurate "mirepoix", what leads me to the conclusion that his chicken stock was "real" , but modern, busy women that we are, we don't always have the time to make the real one at home (let's be frank!) 

In any case, I enjoyed Mr Ramsay's soup...he also used fresh foie gras...here I used "bloc de foie gras" (in cans) for two reasons: first, I know fresh foie gras is not easy to get in some countries...second, it is expensive!!! (so the "bloc de foie gras" is the cheapest version, because it is made with pieces of liver, not whole ("entier"). Third, because people not used to it, do not like the look of fresh foie gras (sacrilege!!) and fourth, because if your guests are not "connaisseurs", they will not taste the difference between one type and the other !!! 

This said, you can replace the foie gras by liver pâté (recipe here), or by sautéd bacon, or whatever you want....even Spanish chorizo would be a great idea!

Before my passion for cooking, I also did picture-framing...

Finally, I would like to add that, first, I admire Mr Ramsay because he has done so much to make good cooking popular....second, I find him VERY handsome...and third, if he happens to read my blog (???!!!!) (Why not?) that I would like to work with him ("work"...girls...I said "work") in one of his restaurants...Yes, le Trianon here in Versailles would suit me VERY well!

Well, and after all this delirium, I leave you with the recipe.....

Acknowledgements! I would like to thank Gourmet Live for including my Beef and Pumpkin Pie, in the week's roundup "Spectacular Squash", the Jerusalem Post, for publishing my recipe of Argentinian empanadas...and most important, you dear readers, for supporting me in Project Foodblog!!

Thanks a lot !!!

For the recipe, see below...



Recipe: Lentil and Foie-gras Soup:
(serves 4) 

Sauté the chopped onion ( 1 tbsp), in olive oil (1 tbsp). Then add green lentils (250gr). Cover with 1,25 liter water ( you can use less water if you want a more "creamy" soup - "velouté").  Add one chicken stock cube, and a "bouquet garni". Season with salt & pepper. Cover almost completely and let simmer for 30'. Remove the bouquet garni and mix. Check the seasoning and serve with a slice of foie-gras. Here, I sprinked some olive oil on it, and piment d'espelette, of course!

Recipe from "Elle à Table"