Carrot, Ginger And Drambuie Soup

After the battle of Culloden (1746), Prince Charles Edward Stuart fled to the Isle of Skye. There, he was given sanctuary by Captain John MacKinnon of Clan MacKinnon. According to family legend, after staying with the Captain, the prince rewarded him with this prized drink recipe. (This version of events is disputed by historians- some believe it to be a story concocted to boost sales of the drink). The legend holds that the recipe was given in the late 19th century by MacKinnon to James Ross. Ross ran the Broadford Hotel in the Isle of Skye, he developed and improved the recipe, initially for his friends locally. It was one of these friends who coined the name, meaning “the drink that satisfies”. Ross then sold it further afield even to France and the United States. It was Ross who patented it, in London. Ross died young, and to pay for their children’s education, his widow was obliged to sell the recipe, by coincidence to a different MacKinnon family, in the early 20th century. The MacKinnon family has been producing the drink since.

ingredients

3 tbsp butter
2 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1 - 2 tsp shredded ginger
1 stick celery, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups orange juice
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups light cream (18%)
1/4 cup Drambuie

directions

1
Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onions and ginger. Saute for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Reduce to medium and cook until water evaporates and carrots caramelize.
2
De-glaze the pan with vegetable stock. Add bay leaves. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
3
Remove bay leaves and add juice, sugar, salt and cayenne. Puree in batches in a blender. Add cream and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Drambuie and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Source: Hadassa Rubinstein