Celeriac and brown butter soup with crispy kale

Method

1. Scrub the celeriac clean and ensure there are no bits of dirt or soil. Peel and put the peelings in a pan, add 600ml water and put over a high heat. Cut the celeriac into wedges, then finely slice – this is important as it will cook quicker, so don’t rush it. Peel the shallots, chop off the root and cut each one into thirds. Add the shallot skins and roots to the stock pan.
2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat and add the sliced celeriac, shallots, bay leaf and thyme. Cook slowly for about 20 minutes, stirring often. The butter will foam up and caramelise, slowly cooking the celeriac.
3. After this time, strain the celeriac peelings stock; you should have around 300ml left. Add this to a blender with the chicken or vegetable stock. Drain the butter from the celeriac and set aside for the kale, then add the celeriac and shallots to the blender and whizz into a smooth soup. Taste and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper, then pour into a saucepan to keep warm until ready to serve.
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4. Fry the kale leaves in the reserved brown butter until crisp – they will pop so cover the pan with a lid. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt. Serve up the soup and top with the crispy kale and a drizzle of brown butter.