Well, I have been an observer rather than a partaker in Weekend Herb Blogging, the food blogging event and brainchild of Kalyn over at Kalyn’s Kitchen. I figured the best way for me to jump in with TWO feet, was to start joining the fun at the Weekend Herb Blogging TWO Year Anniversary of this event.

The aim of this big party is to submit a dish that is doubly delish: with a favorite herb and vegetable all wrapped into one recipe. My recipe? Cilantro Mango Coconut Sauce. The vegetable inclusions are onion and green pepper. This little sauce/chutney is a really bold combination, yet pairs beautifully with the peppered shrimp.

I love learning about herbs. More importantly, I like to push myself out of my culinary comfort zone and try new recipes with new herbs. It has not been too many years since I began using cilantro, an herb I have a crush on. Though it is an herb that demands attention sooner than later (too much later and it will wilt—this herb has a short life so use it quickly!). But if you lovingly pursue this herb, it won’t let you down. It adds panache to any dish, pairs beautifully with seafood and has landed on my table in both guacamole and pesto.

Peppered Shrimp
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander (from same plant as cilantro)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp freshly ground, coarse black pepper
15-18 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
fresh lime juice

Place shrimp in bowl (I used a bag of already cooked jumbo shrimp, defrosted them and put them in a bowl), sprinkle on coriander, pepper and oil. Give a toss to blend. Let sit for 20-30 minutes while you prepare sauce. Then, grill 1-3 minutes per side, sprinkle with lime juice and serve.

Cilantro Coconut Sauce
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup cilantro
3 T sweetened coconut
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T mango jelly (or chutney if you prefer spicy)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 T fresh green chili (I use anaheim, they are very mild; use a jalapeno if you like spicy)
pinch of coarse salt
2 cloves garlic

The sauce pushes my culinary patience: chop this, dice that, squeeze citrus, etc. I am a big fan of keep it simple. I kept it easy: I just plunked all the cilantro sauce items into my mini chopper and pureed. I didn’t pre-chop anything; the only cutting I did was to ensure the onion and pepper pieces fit into the chopper. I didn’t mince garlic or chop up the cilantro. So here are the instructions: add all sauce ingredients to blender and puree.

First, empty entire contents of alcohol cabinet to counter top. That should have been the first instruction in this fennel soup recipe, seriously. I had to search the ingredient list to ensure there was actually some form of broth in this soup. Sure enough, there was. But I was already taken: any excuse to eat Gruyere cheese and I am all in. (Recipe from Barefoot Contessa, Parties).

…So I walked into the liquor store, and asked the cashier: do you have Pernod? Because it was listed in this alcohol cabinet recipe, one of four different liquors that would eventually call itself a soup. I had never purchased Pernod, but in the recesses of my brain knew it was a liquor of some sorts. Sure enough, they had a bottle. AND it was expensive. I looked at the guy, said thanks but I am not THAT invested in this soup and proceeded to purchase some humble bottles of wine instead.

He looked at me, sizing me up, surely deciding whether sharing information was even worth his time. Then proceeded to tell me that I could purchase some anise oil from a grocer and put a few drops of that into the soup instead. I looked at him—my turn to size him up—and with my mind swimming with thoughts of anise, I nearly stumbled on myself in happy disbelief: you mean, it is the same as Sambuca or Ouzo? Sure, he said, just the French version. I chuckled, filled my arms with bottles of wine and went on my way.

I had Sambuca at home; we love it as the occasional apertif—or treat, at the end of a meal. This time, though, my Sambuca was going into soup.

I will make this soup again, could eat it again and again and would recommend it time and again. French Onion Soup is a classic. Perhaps that is why the French Pernod and French Baguette? Instead I might call it Anise Fennel Gruyere Soup, though in the end when you eat it, you will inevitably cheer its cousin the French Onion Soup. You should try it: you might like it.

French Fennel Onion Soup
1/2 cup butter
2 bulbs fennel, slice thin
4 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup white wine
8 cups chicken stock
1 T coarse salt
1 tsp coarse pepper
1/4 cup Pernod OR Sambuca OR Ouzo
French Baguette, sliced
3/4 LB Gruyere cheese, grated

Melt butter over medium high heat, add fennel, onion and thyme and caramelize for 25 minutes. Adjust heat to medium, add brandy and cook 3 minutes. Add sherry, wine and simmer 10 minutes. Add stock, salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes. Add Pernod and cook 5 minutes. Ladle into oven proof soup bowls, top with slice of bread and Gruyere cheese. BROIL for 3 minutes until cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve with what else? A glass of wine and probably some dinner-ending sips of Sambuca, sans the soup.