Carrot soup with citrus salad

I often make this soup for formal dinners. The contrast of the earthy carrots and the bright and tart citrus is wonderful. The presentation of this soup is spectacular, and everybody I have served it to has been very surprised.

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The soup 14 garlic cloves 6 mint sprigs 6 thyme sprigs All above tied in a bag to make a sachet 8 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)

2 1/2 cups onions sliced thin 1 cup riesling wine (very dry, not sweet at all) 1 teaspoon curry powder, commercial Salt and white pepper 8 cups carrot juice 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8 cups sliced carrots

Melt butter or heat olive oil. Add onions and cook on medium heat till translucent.  Add sachet and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are lightly golden. Add wine and boil till the smell of alcohol is gone. Add curry, salt, and pepper and constantly stir on medium flame for 2-3 minutes to infuse the flavours. Add the carrot juice and bring to a simmer. Add carrots and the vanilla extract. Simmer gently for 35-40 minutes until the carrots are soft and mushy. Remove the sachet and discard. Blend the soup with a regular blender or immersion until you have a silky texture. Set aside. The soup must have a fairly thick texture, it must coat a spoon thickly when dipped in the soup. Simmer the soup to attain this texture or thin it down with water.

The citrus salad 1 grapefruit 2-3 oranges, navel, blood, Valencia. I like to mix them. 1 lemon 2-4 tablespoons orange blossom or rose water 25-30 mint leaves torn into bits.

Peel the citrus so that you have only the inside flesh. To do this, cut off the tops and bottoms through the orange and again in the middle. I then cut off the skin on the sides of the flesh. Cut out the flesh using a paring knife, discarding the skins and seeds one segment at a time. Collect the flesh and juice in a bowl. Add the blossom water and mint leaves and let sit for 2 hours at room temperature.

To assemble the soup, heat well in a pot and serve in a wide bowl. Top with a serving of the citrus salad on one side. I occasionally add a small mint sprig to the centre of the bowl and drizzle a small spoon of kefir in a circle.