Bite with Belkys: Smoked Sweet Potato Soup

The Chef: Molly Brandt
The Ship: Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas
The Dish: Smoked Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2 lb of sweet potato, peeled and diced into large chunks
2 oz of butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbs of fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp of paprika
2 qt of chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
6 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
1/2 tsp of whole black peppercorns
1 cup of heavy cream
honey, to taste
1 dash of sherry vinegar
salt, to taste

Method of Preparation:
-First, sautee onion in melting butter and add salt, garlic, paprika, sweet potato and chicken stock. Let it simmer for about 30 mintues.

-Then, prepare a sachet. In a piece of cheese cloth, roll up a cinnamon stick, fresh thyme, bay leaf, star anise and black peppercorns. Toss this into the simmering pot.

-Next, separate the liquid from the soup and remove the sachet.

-Blend the soup in patches. Then, pour in heavy cream, honey, sherry vinegar and salt and blend it one more time.

To Plate:
At the restaurant, they garnish with a serrano ham chip, butter sherry cream and almond dust. Then, they cover the soup and smoke it with a smoking gun.

Serving Suggestion: Chenin Blanc

Serves: 2