Cold Cauliflower Soup With Aioli And Clams Recipes

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.