Monti's Carrot Soup and Soda Bread

Recipe by Monti Carlo from MasterChef. Adapted to use cast iron/broiler instead of original pizza stone. I used bacon instead of salt pork and it turned out delicious.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the salt pork or bacon and cook until the fat is rendered, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and simmer 2 minutes. Add the broth and carrots and cook until the carrots soften slightly, about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Strain the broth into a bowl. Arrange the carrots, salt pork or bacon, and shallots on a baking tray. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and broil on high until the carrots are well browned on all sides and cooked through, stirring often.

Step 3

Discard the salt pork or bacon and transfer the carrots and shallots to a blender. Puree with the broth until smooth. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve back into the saucepan.

Step 4

Stir in the heavy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream, grated fresh ginger, and thyme leaves.

Step 5

Preheat a cast iron skillet or pizza stone in the oven at 450 degrees F.

Step 6

Mix the flour, thyme, baking soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Form a well in the center of the dry mixture and add in the buttermilk to the center of the well.

Step 7

Using a fork, gradually stir the flour mixture into the buttermilk until a thick batter forms. Using your hands, gradually mix in the remaining flour mixture to form a very soft dough (do not overwork).

Step 8

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and gently shape it into a round that is 6 inches in diameter and about 1.5 inches high. Using a sharp knife, cut a large X into the top of the dough.

Step 9

Transfer to the preheated cast iron or pizza stone and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 400 F and continue baking until the bread is golden brown and crusty, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Step 10

Serve the bread hot with plenty of butter.