Potato Rutabega Bisque

With Jeff Cala

Fennel and Rutabega are favorite winter ingredients at several of Owner/Chef Jeff Calo’s New England restaurants. In this recipe they are combined to make a tasty bisque soup topped with salmon tartar.

Ingredients

4 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
4 medium sized rutabagas, peeled
¼ stalk of fennel, chopped
1 leek, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup light cream
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon garlic custard (optional – see recipe below)
1 teaspoon anisette
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut potatoes and rutabagas into quarters and boil together in large pot of salted water, adding two tablespoons of olive oil, until tender.
2. Combine chopped fennel, leeks and garlic with two tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
3. Strain potatoes and rutabaga to remove all excess water.
4. Combine cream, chicken stock and the fennel, leek, garlic mixture in blender. (Optional: add 1 tablespoon of specially made garlic custard, which is a combination of garlic, chicken stock and cream slow roasted in the oven until it forms a custard-type consistency.)
5. Add anisette, fresh thyme, salt and pepper.
6. Add potatoes, rutabagas and blend for about one minute. Taste and adjust as desired.
7. Serve in soup bowl garnished with fried potato waffles topped with Salmon Tartar. Recipe courtesy of Exceutive Chef & Co-owner Jeff Cala, Lattitude 43, 2009.

Co-owner and Executive Chef Jeff Cala

Latitude 43 has been open for several years and has separate menus for the main restaurant, the sushi bar and the pub. The menu is seasonal and incorporates local seafood, produce and other ingredients when possible.

Cala's restaurant concepts include Cala's in Manchester, Alchemy in Gloucester, and Hale Street Tavern & Oyster Bar in Beverly Farms — all of which enjoy a local following and nearly automatic consideration when residents of any of those communities think about where they'll go to eat out, either for lunch or dinner or Sunday brunch.