Brown Windsor Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1 large leek, rinsed well and finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 quart beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bouquet garni
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• Rosemary Popcorn, recipe follows
• Rosemary sprigs

Directions

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leek and carrot, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the beef, Essence, salt, and pepper, and cook until browned, about 4 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the flour with 2 tablespoons of stock to make a slurry. Add to the pot and stir well. Add the remaining stock, bay leaf, and bouquet garni, stir well, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the meat is tender, about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove the bay leaf and bouquet garni and discard. Add the parsley, and garnish with rosemary popcorn and rosemary sprigs and serve immediately.

Rosemary Popcorn:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 sprigs rosemary, stripped and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
• Salt

In a deep pot, add oil and rosemary and heat until oil shimmers. Add popcorn and cover. Shake pan until all corn is popped. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.