WHAT ARE THEY?
Small glasses of cold yellow tomato and capsicum soup accompanied by a whipped basil cream.
TIME TO MAKE
Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking: 30–45 minutes
EQUIPMENT
20 small 80 ml dessert glasses and small spoons
Fine-mesh sieve or fine strainer
Piping bag (plain 8 mm nozzle)
Piston funnel (optional) or measuring jug
VARIATION
For a faster version, replace the slice of soft white bread with 30 g dried breadcrumbs.
ADVICE
Choose quite firm capsicums so you can peel them without too much difficulty.
TIP
Peeling the capsicums prevents bitterness after cooking.
TECHNIQUES TO MASTER
ORGANISATION
On the day | Make the gazpacho and set aside in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
2 hours before | Make the basil whipped cream and set aside in the refrigerator. Plate up.
MAKES 20–25
1 GAZPACHO
800 g yellow tomato (about 6–8 tomatoes)
250 g yellow capsicum (about 2–3 capsicums)
400 g cucumber (about one 1 cucumber)
35 g olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3 garlic cloves
salt
1 slice of soft white bread
15 g sherry vinegar
Espelette pepper
2 WHIPPED CREAM
½ bunch basil
100 g whipping cream (35 per cent fat)
salt and pepper
1 To make the gazpacho, preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the tomato, capsicum and cucumber. Grease a baking tin with 20 g 0f the olive oil. Roughly peel the capsicums using a vegetable peeler. Trim off the ends, cutting around the stalk to save all the flesh. Stand them upright and cut from top to bottom on one side. Open them out flat and remove the remaining seeds and the white membranes by running the knife flat across the flesh. Add the capsicum to the tin.
2 Degerm the garlic, crush the cloves with the back of knife and add them to the tray. Drizzle with some extra olive oil and add the salt. Roast for 30–45 minutes.
3 Cut the tomatoes into quarters and deseed them by running a knife around the flesh. Set aside. Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthways, then in half crossways. Cut again lengthways to remove the seeds.
4 Remove the crust from the bread and cut the middle into small cubes. Purée the capsicum, garlic, tomato, cucumber, bread, the remaining 15 g olive oil, sherry vinegar and 2–3 pinches of salt.
5 Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or a fine strainer. Adjust the seasoning and add a pinch of Espelette pepper. Set aside in the refrigerator.
6 Remove the tops of the basil bunches and the small leaves and set them aside in moist paper towel in the refrigerator. Finely slice the remaining leaves.
7 Whip the cream, add the sliced basil, season to taste and transfer to a piping bag with a plain 8 mm nozzle. Set aside in the refrigerator.
8 Whisk the gazpacho, adjust the seasoning if necessary, then fill the dessert glasses using a piston funnel or a measuring jug. Pipe a good spoonful of whipped basil cream on top, then add a pinch of Espelette pepper and the reserved small basil leaves.
