Creme du Barry aux Radis

For the soup

• 8 medium radishes
• 1 1/2 ounce butter
• 1 1/2 ounce all purpose flour
• 5 1/4 cups milk
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt to taste
• White pepper to taste

Garnish

• Chervil or flat parsley leaves
• Cauliflower fleurettes

1. Wash and dry vegetables
2. Peel radishes. Slice thin 6 radishes, coarsely chop 2 radishes. The pink radish skin needs to be removed to preserve the white color of the soup.
3. Divide cauliflower head into quarters; roughly chop three quarters including stalks; reserve one quarter, trim into fleurettes, set aside (add left over pieces of stalk to chopped cauliflower)
4. Heat milk to simmer over medium heat (or heat gently in microwave).
5. While milk is heating, in a large sauce pan, sweat sliced radishes in butter. When radishes are soft but with no color, sprinkle them with flour and stir so flour absorbs liquid in pan.
6. Add warmed milk to radishes in sauce and bring to simmer. Do not use cold milk.
7. Add chopped cauliflower (not the fleurettes) to saucepan. Bring to simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender.
8. While chopped cauliflower is cooking, blanch fleurettes and remove immediately to ice water bath. Drain and set aside.
9. When chopped cauliflower is tender, remove from heat, add remaining raw chopped radish, and puree in a food mill or blender; strain through a mesh sieve. Make sure to let saucepan contents cool BEFORE pureeing.
10. Rinse sauce pan. Pour puree into pan and return to heat. Add cream and bring to simmer.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Serve in warm bowls with garnish.