Ingredients

• 15g/½oz butter
• ½ onion
• chopped
• ½ potato
• peeled
• cut into 1cm/½in cubes
• 1 bulb fennel
• finely sliced
• 150ml/¼ pint hot chicken stock (vegetarians can substitute vegetable stock)
• small handful fresh parsley
• chopped
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• 4 tbsp double cream
• 55g/2oz Lancashire cheese
• grated

Directions

• Heat the butter in a saucepan and gently fry the onion until softened but not coloured.
• Add the potato
• fennel and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes
• or until the potato and fennel are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Pour the soup into a blender along with the parsley
• egg yolk
• cream and cheese and blend until smooth. If necessary
• return the soup to the saucepan and gently warm through.
• To serve
• pour the soup into bowls.