Method

• Place the butter, Black Garlic Paste, chicken stock and milk into a large saucepan fitted with a lid. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer over a low to medium heat, (at no time should this soup come to a boil as the milk will curdle). Add the oatmeal and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Add the leeks and season with salt and ground white pepper.
• Cover the saucepan with a lid, turn the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. Either liquidise the soup in the saucepan with a hand held immersion blender or if you prefer a chunkier texture leave as is.
• Taste for seasoning. Gently heat the soup through until warm. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley plus 2 tablespoons of cream.

To Serve: ladle the soup into a tureen or warmed soup bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Drizzle with cream. Serve with BGK’s Black Garlic Irish Soda Bread.

Top Tip:* to remove any grit or sand from the leeks – cut off the dark green tops and remove the tough outer layers of the leeks. Place the leeks on a large chopping board, insert the tip of a sharp knife 2cm from the root of the leeks and cut straight through the middle. Fan open the leeks and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Cut off the root and slice as required.