Dill Pickle Soup

Drain the pickles, reserving the juice, and slice them thinly.

Melt 2 T of the butter in a frying pan and add the pickle slices, sauteeing them over medium heat for 3 min.

Push the pickles t one side, add the remaining T of butter and the onions and garlic. Cook until soft and slightly browned.

Incorporate the pickles and cook together for 1 min.

Ad 1 cup stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned particles.

Transfer this mixture to a medium soup pot, add the rest of the stock, the reserved pickle juice, and the carrots.

Simmer uncovered for 15 min.

Add the shredded port and cook 15 min more. Knead together the softened butter, flour, and dill into a ball and add it to the simmering soup, stirring to blend.

Cook 2 min until the soup thickens.

Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream.

Taste and adjust seasoning, remembering that salt tends to accentuate the sour taste. If soup is not tart enough, add lemon juice to taste. Serve hot, with dollops of sour cream.

Stock: this can be a well-flavored chicken or veal, or a brown stock.

The author notes that using all beef stock makes the soup a bit too strong, and usually substitute half of the brown stock for chicken or veal.