Seasonal Soup Flamande - sprout soup courtesy of Delia

It was the day after a spectacular New Year's Eve feast  at my local gastro pub, The Ingham Swan www.theinghamswan.co.uk/ (smoked chicken and duck ballantine with melba toast, quince ailoli, apple and celeriac salad; pan fried sea bass, cod fishcakes and lemon grass and brown shrimp beurre blanc; assiette of desserts .....) - if you are in the area you will not be disappointed - that I decided to cook up something a bit different for a New Year's Day detox!
What's better than a soup if you need sustenance and not excess? The obvious choice was to turn to the Delia Collection and book number one 'Soup' 2003 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delia-Collection-Soup-Smith/dp/0563487305/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357678117&sr=1-1. There are so many excellent soup recipes in this collection. Our favourite, and certainly my son's favourite as he has been eating this since he was nine months old, is the fresh tomato soup on page 49: a really simple and filling soup that brings out that gorgeous tomato flavour. My dad's favourite (God bless him), always used to be the delightful French Onion soup on page 104: a real hearty and wholesome soup that would keep you going for hours!

Soup Flamande with Creme Fraiche and Frizzled Sprouts and served with a cheese and onion roll

 This time though, I've gone for something slightly unusual. It is a classic Flemish soup according to Delia, essentially it's sprout soup! Don't let that put you off. It's amazing how subtle the sprouts are as they are tempered by the other ingredients of leeks and potatoes. All my recipients were impressed and enjoyed this fresh and tasty offering; and the frizzled sprout garnish was surprisingly moreish.

Soup Flamande with Creme Fraiche and Frizzled Sprouts (copyright Delia Smith 2003)

Serves 4-6
350g potatoes
2 Large leeks
350g Brussels sprouts
50g butter
425ml vegetable stock
570ml (1 pint) milk
2 tbsp creme fraiche
a squeeze of lemon juice
salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the garnish
4 tbsp creme fraiche
4 large sprouts, shredded
1 tbsp olive oil

The prepared vegetables

Simmering in the stock and milk

The liquidised soup

Frizzled sprouts

1. Peel and thickly slice the potatoes. Chop the leeks in to 2.5cm pieces and quarter the sprouts or halve the smaller sprouts.    
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the leeks, potatoes and sprouts, stir well and coat them in the butter. Add some salt and pepper. Put the lid on and let them sweat over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Next add the stock and milk and bring up to simmering point and cook very gently for 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to let the milk boil over.
4. Cool the soup and liquidise. Add two tablespoons of creme fraiche and a squeeze of lemon juice and reheat.
5. Meanwhile, while the soup is reheating, make the garnish. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over a high heat and when the oil is very hot, add the shredded sprouts and fry them for 2-3 minutes until they are crisp and golden. Drain them on kitchen paper. Serve the soup in warmed bowls with a little creme fraiche spooned on top and garnished with the frizzled sprouts.

The garnish can be made in advance and can be re-frizzled in a hot frying pan just before serving