Cucumber Soup with Solid Oil, Curry and Mint

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the cucumber soup:
• 14 oz cucumber
• 1/2 cup 0.4º olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• salt
• For the mint water:
• 7 oz fresh mint
• 1 cup water
• For the mint gelatin:
• 1 cup mint water (see previous step)
• 1 tsp powdered agar-agar
• 1 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• For the textured oil:
• 11/4 cup 0.4º olive oil
• For the vinegar reduction:
• 1/2 cup cabernet-sauvignon vinegar
• 13/4 tbsp glucose
• For the yogurt croquant:
• 8 oz fondant
• 1/2 oz glucose
• 1/2 cup Isomalt
• 4 oz powdered yogurt
• To finish:
• pinch curry powder
• 1 tsp powdered yogurt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the cucumber soup:
1. Peel the cucumbers. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
2. Add a generous amount of salt and leave to stand for 1.30 hours.
3. Rinse off the salt in cold water.
4. Blend 7 oz of clean cucumber with ½ cup water.
5. Strain through a colander, pressing with the back of a spoon to get some of the pulp and then again without pressing.
6. Emulsify the soup obtained with the oil in a blender. Season with salt.

For the mint water:
1. Pull the largest mint leaves off the stalk.
2. Blanch the mint leaves for 5 seconds. Fresh in iced water and then drain.
3. Blend with the water in a food processor. Sieve.

For the mint gelatin:
1. Mix a ¼ of the mint water and the powdered agar-agar.
2. Stirring continuously, bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the rest of the warm mint water and whisk.
3. Dissolve the gelatin.
4. Pour a ¼" layer into a dish.
5. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
6. Cut into ½ x ½" squares.

For the textured oil:
1. Pour a 1½" layer of 0.4º olive oil in a dish and put in the freezer at -70ºF.
2. Remove from the freezer after 24 hours and place in the fridge.
3. Leave to thaw very slowly for 12 hours and without abrupt changes in temperature.

For the vinegar reduction:
1. Reduce the vinegar with the glucose.
2. Reduce the mixture over a gentle heat until you have a thick sauce with the consistency of liquid caramel. Strain and put in a baster.

For the yogurt croquant:
1. Heat the fondant and glucose and Isomalt in a pan. Stir until the ingredients have completely dissolved. When it reaches 325ºF, remove from the heat and wait until it cools to 275ºF.
2. When it has cooled to 275ºF, add the powdered yogurt and stir until it is blended in. If the yogurt powder is added at 325ºF, it will burn.
3. Spread the mixture over a piece of greaseproof paper and leave to cool.
4. Grind in a food processor until you get a fine powder.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Place 3 mint gelatin cubes 1¼" apart in a small dish.
2. Place 3 or 4 pieces of yogurt croquant and sprinkle with powdered yogurt.
3. Put 3 dots of vinegar reduction between the pieces of yogurt croquant.
4. Use a coffee spoon to make a quenelle of textured oil and place it opposite the mint gelatin.
5. Sprinkle curry powder on top of the textured oil quenelle.
6. Emulsify the cucumber soup and serve in a separate jug.