Oatmeal Soup

This is a pretty little soup, especially in a flat soup plate with finely cut parsley sprinkled over its buttery white surface. The flavor is delicate--and it's meant to be as filling as it is inexpensive to make. Serve hot to 4 people as a first course.

1 Tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 Tablespoons oatmeal
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

Garnish: parsley, finely minced

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then sauté the onion until soft. Stir in the oatmeal and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly pour in the stock, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for about 30 minutes. Pureé in a blender, and return to the pan.

Reheat soup, then stir in milk. Bring to a simmer. When ready to serve, stir in the heavy cream, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Flummery is a tasty dessert which must however be started three days in advance of requirement. As a variation you can try using lemons instead of oranges for a really tangy alternative.

Flummery

Put the oatmeal in a bowl and just cover with cold water. Cover and leave to stand for 24 hours, adding a little more water as necessary to keep the oatmeal covered. Strain off the liquid and tip the oatmeal back into the bowl. Pour over 2 pints/ 1.2 litres fresh water and leave to stand for a further 24 hours. Strain through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing the oatmeal with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the oatmeal. Strain the orange juice and put in the saucepan with the sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until thick, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and leave until fairly cool, then stir in half the cream. Pour into six individual serving dishes and leave to set. Whip the remaining cream until peaking. Top each flummery with a sponful of the whipped cream, trickle the honey over and sprinkle with the orange rind.