Cold Summer Soup with Chargrilled Prawns & Scallops with a Black Olive Crumb
Gerry's August Recipe of the Month!
Cold soups are a fabulous clean and fresh meal during the summer and autumn months – the meaty chargrilled shellfish and earthy olives in this dish make it a meal to remember! – Gerry
Ingredients:
2 Whole Dublin Bay Prawns
2 Scallops 1 Head of Fennel
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Cucumber
10 Cherry Vine Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
1 Clove of Garlic
3 Spring Onions
Touch of Maldon Salt
Dash of Chardonnay Vinegar
3 Tbs of Olive Oil
For the Crumb:
10 Pitted Black Olives
Rock Samphire and Sprigs of Fennel
For this, you will need also need a griddle and blender/juicer.
Chef’s Top Tip:
A griddle/chargrill pan is a must in your kitchen; it delivers a lovely smoky taste. When using a griddle, always remember these basic rules: always have it sparkling clean, pop it on the biggest hob and get it as hot as possible and always oil your produce, never the griddle.
Method:
This is such a simple soup but delivers a brilliant impact – the trick in delivering extra flavour is to cut the vegetables into quite small pieces to release maximum flavour when juicing.
1. Start first by preparing the Black Olive Crumb as it will take the longest. Put about 10 pitted black olives in the oven at 120 degrees for 1 hour, they should dehydrate. When they are cool, using a pestle and mortar, pound them to a crumb.
2. For the Soup, begin by discarding any of the tough outer layers of the fennel and reserve the fronds. Deseed the pepper, peel the onion and dice. Peel back a layer or two of the spring onion and remove the upper, more fibrous leaves. Put all in a blender/juicer.
3. Add the olive oil, garlic, salt and vinegar.
4. Puree in your blender at a high speed for at least 2 minutes.
5. Strain the soup through a sieve and adjust any seasoning if necessary, then add a dash of water to loosen.
6. Rub some olive oil and seasoning on the Prawns and Scallops and griddle until cooked. The Prawns will take about 4 minutes and the Scallops will take about 2 minutes to cook.
7. And now for the finishing touch – the Black Olive Crumb!
8. Use a nice big bowl, pop your Prawns in the middle and the Scallops beside them then pour in the cold soup. Dust with the Black Olive Crumb and finish with some rock samphire and fennel fronds. Enjoy!
