Cream Of Roasted Fennel Soup With Pepper Aïoli - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 bulbs fennel, trimmed, roughly chopped, 4 frond tips reserved
1 None onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled, bruised
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup milk
None None FOR THE PEPPER AIOLI
1 None red pepper, quartered, deseeded
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 None large egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice, plus 2 tsp to serve
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400\u00b0F. Combine fennel, onion, garlic, fennel seeds and oil in a shallow baking dish. Roast for 30 mins. Cover and roast for 20 mins, or until tender.
Transfer mixture to a large saucepan. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic from skins. Return to pan along with stock, milk and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins. Let cool for 15 mins.
Meanwhile, to make the pepper aioli, preheat broiler. Roast pepper, skin-side up, until skin blisters and blackens. Cover in plastic wrap for 5 mins then peel skin. Chop flesh roughly. Blend or process garlic, egg yolk, 1 tbsp lemon juice and mustard until mixture is smooth. With motor operating, add oil in a thin, steady stream. Process until aioli thickens. Add peppers and process until smooth.
To serve, blend or process soup until smooth. Transfer to a clean pan and add remaining lemon juice. Stir over medium heat until hot. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved fennel fronds. Serve with aioli.