Puree
Many foods are mashed, pressed or strained to the consistency of a soft paste or a thick liquid. This type of food is called “puree”. The word “puree” comes from the French word for purified or refined.
There are many types of puree foods, some of them even have commonly known names which help define the main ingredient (examples are “mashed potatoes” and “apple sauce”). The process of making these foods usually encompasses cooking the food until it becomes soft. Then it is mashed, blended, and/or strained until it reaches the desired consistency. Some common purees include: pea soup, bean soup, bisque, applesauce, hummus, guacamole, squash, and pumpkin.
Not every food is considered a puree. Puree foods usually involve a complete recipe with a list of ingredients and very specific cooking instructions. For this reason, certain foods are not considered to be purees. Paste like foods which have been created from cereal flour (such as gruel and muesli) are not considered to be purees. Neither are mashed nuts (i.e. peanut butter) considered to be a puree. Foods that have been pureed to be used as recipe ingredients (such as tomato paste) are not considered purees because they are meant to be used as part of the recipe and not the end result.
A good recipe to try at home is “Puree of Asparagus Soup”. To make this soup you will need the following:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon unbleached or all purpose flour
2 (14.5-ounce) cans low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
1-1/2 pounds asparagus, cut into pieces, tough ends removed and reserved
1-1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until tender; add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in broth and bring mixture to a boil. Add the tough ends of asparagus and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the tough ends and discard. Add the remaining asparagus, parsley and marjoram to the broth and simmer until the asparagus is very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Remove the asparagus from the broth with a slotted spoon and place in blender or processor. Purée the asparagus. Gradually add the cooking liquid and continue to puree until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan.
