Cold Cauliflower Soup With Aioli And Clams Food

COLD CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BACON AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• For the croutons: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the thyme on top and season with the salt and pepper if using. Toss until coated. Bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the bacon: On another baking sheet, arrange the bacon in a single layer. Bake until browned and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
• For the soup: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the celery, shallots, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cauliflower. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• In batches, puree the soup in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool the soup to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.
• Ladle the chilled soup into bowls and garnish with the croutons and bacon.
• Cook's Note: The soup can also be blended using an immersion blender.

COLD CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH AIOLI AND CLAMS

Steps:

• To make the soup, place the clams, white wine, garlic and 1 teaspoon of butter in a large pot over high heat. Cover and steam for 5 to 7 minutes, until the clams are open but still very tender. Strain the mixture. Reserve the clam broth, which should equal about 1 1/2 cups. Pick the meat from the clams, set aside and discard the shells and garlic.
• In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onions in the remaining butter until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the rice, 2 cups of the milk and the reserved clam broth and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, remove 2 cups of the smallest florets from the cauliflower and set aside. Remove the coarse stems from the cauliflower and discard. Chop the remaining cauliflower and add to the rice mixture, along with another cup of milk, after the rice has cooked for 15 minutes. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 8 minutes.
• Puree the rice and cauliflower mixture in a food processor and return to a saucepan. Add the remaining milk and stir until a velvety, souplike consistency has been achieved. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the small cauliflower florets, stir, cover and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir to avoid sticking and add more milk if necessary to keep the consistency of the soup constant.
• Meanwhile, to make the aioli sauce, place the garlic cloves, egg yolk, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a blender and pulverize completely. Combine the oils and, while the blender is on, slowly drizzle the oil into the yolk mixture. Blend until the mixture has the texture of mayonnaise. Transfer to a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Ladle the soup into 6 bowls. Place a dollop of aioli in the center of each, arrange 6 cooked clams in a circle around the aioli, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

COLD CURRY CAULIFLOWER SOUP--SMOOTH, SIMPLE, & YUMMY!

Steps:

• Soup:.
• Steam the cut cauliflower until tender. Drain and add back to pot.
• Add chicken stock, milk, olive oil, grated ginger, and spices. Boil until nicely blended and cauliflower starts to disintegrate, about 10 minutes.
• Either pour the soup into a blender or food processor to blend, or use a hand-held mixer to smooth the soup into a lovely, creamy consistency.
• Mix cornstarch with a couple tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste. Stir this cornstarch paste into the hot soup until it has thickened, and then remove it from heat.
• Let cool in the refrigerator until time to serve. Place shaved ice in each bowl and then place a smaller terrine on top of the ice. Ladle the soup into the smaller terrines. Enjoy on a hot day, letting guests add in cayenne or other spicy seasonings to taste.
• Curry Powder:.
• Place whole spices in a heavy frying pan (without oil--just directly in the pan) and toast over low-medium heat, stirring to toast all sides of the spices. Remove and cool. Transfer to a grinder, such as a coffee grinder or a blender on high. Grind and remove to an air-tight container.
• Note: Whole turmeric is hard to find, but the other spices are easy. Make this recipe in much larger batches, say, 1/4 cup increments, and store it for later use or even place in fancy containers for gift-giving. Enjoy!

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER WITH LEMON AIOLI

Steps:

• For the cauliflower: Preheat a fryer to 350 degrees F, or heat 3 inches oil to 350 degrees F in a Dutch oven or deep skillet. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• Whisk the eggs with the Parmesan in a bowl. Mix the flour and salt in another bowl. Dip the cauliflower in the Parmesan egg mixture, then into the salted flour, then into the fryer. Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season the cauliflower with salt while still in either the fryer basket or strainer and pour on the prepared wire rack.
• For the lemon aioli: Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with the chives.
• Arrange the crispy cauliflower on a platter. Grate some Parmesan over, then sprinkle with the lemon zest and chives. Serve alongside the lemon aioli.