Roasted Apple Soup

Prep time 1.5 hrs

Yield 1 quart (eight 4 oz servings)

Ingredients

2 each Braeburn and Granny Smith apples, diced

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 small shallots, minced

1 rib celery, minced

1 small carrot, diced

1 cup butter

¼ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup Riesling (or a sweet white wine)

2 cups chicken stock

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup apple juice

¼ cup heavy cream (as needed)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper place the dice apples and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and season with salt. Put into a 425-degree oven and roast until fragrant and browned on the edges – about 40 minutes

2. In a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, add the remaining vegetable oil and heat until shimmering.

3. Add the shallots, celery and carrot. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until fragrant – about 2 minutes

4. Add the butter, marjoram and roasted apples. Heat until the foam in the butter subsides and the marjoram is fragrant – about 3 minutes.

5. Sprinkle the flout over the cooked vegetable mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until well-combined. (Add a little more flour if necessary) Cook the vegetables until the flour smells “like toast” but hasn’t yet browned.

6. Add the wine. Deglaze the pan while scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.

7. Add the chicken stock, vinegar and apple juice; heat until simmering.

8. Pour the contents of the pan into a 2-quart sauce pot over low heat Offset the pan over the burner, and continue to simmer until the flour has cooked out – about 45 minutes (Continually skim the surface of any impurities that form)

9. Pour the content of the pan into a heavy-duty variable-speed blender, and puree until smooth while mounting with cream as necessary to reach desired consistency.

10. Strain if necessary

11. Taste and adjust seasonings

12. Keep warm until serving