Makes 6 servings
Be sure to use good, properly aged cheeses for this soup. A cheese that is too “green,” or young, will curdle and turn rubbery when heated, but a mature cheese will melt beautifully as long as it is not boiled.
• 6 Tbs. butter
• 5 Tbs. flour
• 4½ cups hot milk
• 1 cup cream
• 9 oz. Gouda cheese, grated
• 4½ oz. smoked Edam cheese, grated
• 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. paprika
• dash of Tabasco or cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic toast (optional)
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook this roux over very low heat for a few minutes, stirring. Add the hot milk and stir with a whisk over medium heat until the mixture is thickened and perfectly smooth.
2. Add the cream. Adjust the flame so that the soup stays hot but does not boil. Gradually add the grated cheeses, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
3. When all the cheese is melted and the soup has a smooth, velvety consistency, add the Worcestershire sauce, paprika, Tabasco, and salt and pepper.
4. Serve hot with garlic toast.
5. Several readers of my earlier book have expressed concern about the use of Worcestershire sauce, pointing out that it contains a trace of anchovies. Alanna brand Worcestershire sauce, manufactured by Goodalls of Ireland and available in health food stores, contains no anchovies.
