Chilled Asparagus Soup with Olive Oil Ice-Cream by Joël Antunès
(Serves six)
INGREDIENTS
For the soup 500g fresh green asparagus
100ml cream
50g butter
50ml olive oil
50g fresh spinach leaves
For the garnish 18 asparagus tips
100g burrata cheese
20ml olive oil
Fleur de sel
Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the olive oil ice-cream 50ml whole milk
4 egg yolks
70g sugar
250g asparagus, cooked and trimmed
80ml olive oil
6 fresh basil leaves
METHOD To make the soup, place the chopped asparagus in a saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Once cooked, remove the asparagus and set aside, leaving behind 200ml of the water.
Add the cream, butter and olive oil to the saucepan and bring back to the boil. Once boiled, combine the liquid with the cooked asparagus and fresh spinach leaves in a food processor and blend together until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool.
Garnish with asparagus tips, trimmed to 2in and thinly sliced, burrata cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.
To make the olive oil ice-cream, bring the milk to the boil and reduce the heat. Then combine the egg yolks and sugar and slowly add to the milk, cooking until it reaches 80e_SDgrC. Remove from the heat. Place the milk mixture, trimmed asparagus, olive oil and basil leaves in a food processor and blend until smooth. Then place the entire mixture in an ice-cream machine.
Place the ice-cream on top of the soup just before serving.
Joël Antunès, executive chef, Brasserie Joël, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge
