I’m an adventurous eater.
You’ll seldom see me turning down the opportunity to taste innovative flavor combinations. And you’ll never find me passing up the chance to explore new culinary territory. So, why is it that I feel compelled to go to the SAME places and order the SAME dishes over and over again when I dine out?
Well, you could call it obsessive. Or you could call it what it really is – opportunistic. When I find the PERFECT rendition of a dish I love – something that fresh, or that well executed — I feel obliged to take advantage of it whenever I can. Incidentally, I also feel the need to protect my favorite dishes from extinction.
You see, apparently I don’t always have the most popular taste. I don’t vote for the winning candidates in most elections. And I can almost never successfully predict the winner of American Idol. I’m the sort of person who falls in love with the one scent at Bath & Body Works that is bound to be discontinued. And I just know that the next Kopp’s custard flavor I fall in love with will end up to be the one they serve maybe once… or twice… a year.
So, that’s why, when I experience a really GREAT restaurant dish, I have a tendency to hold on to it. Obsess about it. And often, recreate it in my own kitchen.
Needless to say, I was delighted when Chris Graham from Milwaukee Brunch Reviews e-mailed me the recipe for Kil@wat’s Roasted Red Pepper Fennel soup.
If you haven’t experienced the revelation that is this soup, you’ve been missing out. Sweet, creamy, and peppery with just a hint of kick from a touch of jalapeno pepper, this soup takes me over the edge every single time I try it. In fact, give me a bowl of this soup with an order of Kil@wat’s equally good Mediterranean flatbread, and I’m on my way to Nirvana.
The thing about the recipe is that… well… it wasn’t so much a recipe as a rough sketch. And this sketch was written to make at least 9 gallons of soup. So, it took a bit of math (and some finessing) to scale things down. Seven POUNDS of onions became one large onion, diced. Four CANS of roasted red peppers became 8 fresh red peppers from the West Allis farmer’s market, fire-roasted over charcoal & then painstakingly peeled & seeded. I spent most of last weekend tweaking the recipe. And I think I’ve managed to capture the spirit of it.
Of course, just because I can make the soup at home doesn’t mean I’ll stop visiting Kil@wat. After all, now I have the rest of their fantastic menu to try and conquer. Even better, when they decide to pull my favorite soup off the menu, I’ll be prepared.
Roasted Red Pepper and Fennel Soup
Adapted from Chef David Zakroczymski – Kil@wat Restaurant, Miwaukee
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 bulbs fresh fennel
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
7 stalks celery, cleaned and chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 small jalapeno peppers, minced
8 roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
2 T dried thyme leaves
2 quarts chicken stock
1 quart heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350. Core and quarter fennel. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place into a roasting pan. Roast for 40 minutes.
Heat additional olive oil in a stock pot. Add onions, celery, and leeks. Saute until tender, about 15 minutes. Add roasted fennel, red peppers, and thyme. Saute until hot.
Add jalapenos, stock, and cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. Using immersion blender, puree soup until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve garnished with fennel fronds, aged parmesan cheese, and herbed olive oil.
