Twenty Seven Steps Special: Celeriac and crème fraiche soup, with spiced walnuts

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Co-owner of Twenty Seven Steps, Emma Mettrick, believes you can’t go wrong with any of their soups. But, this celeriac and crème fraiche soup served with spiced walnuts is ideal for winter especially when paired with the Muddy Water Chardonnay.

For the Soup:

1 large celeriac (approx. 500g) 
2 white onions
2 cloves garlic
salt
white pepper
500ml vegetable stock (2 stock cubes)
200g butter
250g crème fraiche 

    Method:

    Grate the celeriac and set aside. Gently heat the butter in a saucepan; add finely sliced onions and garlic; cook until soft. Add the grated celeriac and season. When soft, add the vegetable stock and creme fraiche. Cook for an hour. Blitz in a food processor.

    For the Spiced Walnuts:

    • 2tbsp honey
    • half teaspoon cinnamon
    • half teaspoon nutmeg 
    • 100g walnuts 
    • pinch salt

    Place honey, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Heat until the honey starts to bubble. Add the walnuts and stir to coat. Spread the walnuts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. Allow to cool. Finely chop.

    Straw in colour with flecks of gold. A complex nose of ripe pear, almonds and nutmeg revealing more layers over time. A palate with weight and texture highlighted by toasted caramel, grainy phenolics and long fresh acidity. Organically grown on deep, fine textured Awapuni clay soils. Individual rows were handpicked during cool autumn mornings. NZ


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