Soup:

• 2 heads romaine lettuce
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• ½ bulb fennel, sliced
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• ½ onion, sliced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Bacon foam:

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 5 slices bacon
• 3 teaspoons cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For bacon foam:
In a sauté pan, render fat from bacon. Remove the bacon and reserve the fat in the pan. In the same pan, add the chicken stock, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and whisk into foam.

To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls, top with bacon foam and serve immediately.

Wine pairing:
A medium-bodied Champagne such as the Dentz Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne 1996