Cream of fennel soup with Harrys Bar toasties

This recipe is inspired by the deliciously cheesy toasties from Harrys Bar in Venice.

Recipe «Cream of fennel soup with Harrys Bar toasties» presented in category Recipes / Soups, to prepare this dish you will need no more 40 minutes. To make this dish at home by prescription from the author sheff would need: 1 tbsp olive oil, 20g unsalted butter, 1 leek, finely chopped, 3 fennel bulbs, trimmed , roughly chopped, 1 garlic clove, crushed , 1 medium potato, peeled, chopped, 2 tbsp almond meal, 500ml vegetable stock , 1/2 cup thin cream, 1-2 tbsp Pernod, optional, 225g gruyere cheese, grated, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp cream or milk, Cayenne pepper, to taste, optional, 8 slices white bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 20g unsalted butter 
• 1 leek, finely chopped 
• 3 fennel bulbs, trimmed , roughly chopped 
• 1 garlic clove, crushed 
• 1 medium potato, peeled, chopped 
• 2 tbsp almond meal 
• 500ml vegetable stock 
• 1/2 cup thin cream 
• 1-2 tbsp Pernod, optional 
• 225g gruyere cheese, grated 
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 tbsp cream or milk 
• Cayenne pepper, to taste, optional 
• 8 slices white bread 
• 4 slices leg ham, thinly sliced 
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 30g unsalted butter 

Instructions

1. Place the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and fennel and sweat for about 10 minutes (don't allow to colour). Add garlic, potato, almond meal and stock, then bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, then blend in batches and return to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and reheat, stirring gently.
2. Meanwhile, to make the Harry's Bar toasties, place cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cream in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper (cayenne pepper if you prefer it spicy) and process until combined. Spread onto 4 slices of bread, top with the ham, then the remaining bread.
3. Heat oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and fry until golden on both sides. Cut into soldiers.
4. Stir the Pernod into the soup, garnish with a sprig of fennel and serve immediately with the toasties.