| Yield:
6 servings (8 cups)
Soup
Purée
- 3
Tablespoons olive oil
- 3
Tablespoons butter
- 4
cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
- 1
scotch bonnet, stemmed and seeded, diced small
- 2
leeks, white part only, cleaned and diced small
- 2
small inner stalks celery, cleaned and diced small
- 2
large shallots, peeled and finely sliced
- 1
teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2
bay leaves, broken
- 2/3
cup of orange juice
- 1
cup light chicken stock
- 2
cups heavy cream
- Pinch
of salt
Grilled
Christophine
- 2
christophine, peeled, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 3
Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
and pepper to taste
Toss
the christophine slices in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Raw
Vegetables Garnish
- 1
1/4 cups of buttermilk
- 1
Tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1
European cucumber
- 1
Tablespoon kosher salt
- 4
scallions, white and green, root discarded and chopped small
To
make the purée, heat a large soup pot on medium heat and
add the olive oil and butter. Allow to foam slightly. Now add the
scotch bonnet and garlic and stir 15 seconds. Add the leeks, celery,
shallots, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Allow the vegetable mixture
to cook on medium-low heat until slightly translucent.
When
the vegetables have just begun to soften, add the orange juice and
allow it to reduce by half on medium high heat, about 7 minutes.
Now add the chicken stock and reduce until only about 1/2 cup remains,
about 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour in the cream. Transfer
this mix to a blender and purée. Strain into a large bowl
through a medium fine meshed strainer and chill by putting another
bowl underneath it with icy water.
Compass:
For a smaller portion you can simply cut the torta recipe in half
and make two stacks instead of four. Then when you go to plate the
dish, cut the two stacks in half and then in half again (cutting
through the top). Arrange the two quarters of torta in the center
of the plate and place the shrimp around that.
To
prepare the christophine, heat a grill or grill pan and cook the
slices of seasoned christophine until lightly charred. Place the
cooked christophine into a bowl and let them cool gradually. They
will soften a bit further. When they are cool enough to handle,
cut them into a short match-stick pieces and reserve.
Peel
the cucumber and cut it into long quarters lengthwise. Put the cucumbers
into a colander and sprinkle them with coarse salt and allow to
stand at least 30 minutes. (This pulls the excess water out of the
cucs.) Rinse them well, but quickly, with cold water and pat them
dry. Now slice them into thin slices and reserve.
When
the purée is cool add the buttermilk to it and the cooked
christophine with the scallions, cucumbers and thyme leaves. Season
with salt and pepper to taste. Chill covered.
"Rellenitos"
- 6
jalapeños, roasted, peeled (now slit one side from stem
on down and remove the seeds), but stem left intact
- 2
ounces soft goat cheese
- 1
Tablespoon heavy cream
Put
the goat cheese in a bowl and add the heavy cream. Allow cheese
to soften. Now mix them together and spoon the cheese mixture into
a pastry bag or a ziplock bag with a tiny corner cut out of it.
Squeeze the mixture into the cavities of each jalapeño. Reform
the jalapeño to be close to its original shape. Put onto
a plate and chill until ready to serve.
To
serve, put the chilled soup into a chilled bowl. Place a rellenito
in the center of each one.
Compass:
Any leftover of the goat cheese/cream mixture can be drizzled out
over the jalapeño as a nice garnish when serving. The dish
can be further garnished with snipped chives, celery leaves and
cracked black pepper if desired. If the soup gets a touch too thick
just stir in some half and half or plain yogurt. The soup is also
good without the rellenito for a simpler preparation.
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