Lemon Soda Buttermilk Parfait Recipes

LEMON-SODA BUTTERMILK PARFAIT

Steps:

• Prepare the lemon gelatin: Pour 1/4 cup club soda into a medium bowl. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin on top, and let the gelatin bloom for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a double boiler or a medium stainless-steel bowl set over a saucepan with an inch of simmering water. Cook over low heat just until the lemon syrup begins to steam, about 3 minutes. You should have a viscous, syrupy liquid with no discernible traces of sugar granules. Pour the lemon syrup into the gelatin mixture, and stir well to combine. (There should be no visible undissolved gelatin, but you could pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, if need be.) Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups club soda, and transfer to a bowl set over an ice bath.
• Prepare the buttermilk gelatin: Pour the cold water into a medium bowl. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin on top, and let the gelatin bloom for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a double boiler or a medium stainless-steel bowl set over a saucepan with an inch of simmering water, combine the heavy cream, buttermilk and sugar. Scald over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved completely.
• Stir the scalded cream mixture into the gelatin-and-water mixture, then pour into a smaller bowl set over an ice bath. Let cool for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent the edges from solidifying. Remove the bowl from the ice bath, and let stand at room temperature. After about 5 minutes, once the mixture is the consistency of melted ice cream, start assembling the parfaits.
• Gather four 8-ounce parfait glasses and prepare an ample ice bath that can comfortably and securely fit all four of the glasses without tipping them over.
• Using a tablespoon, carefully pour 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk mixture into the bottom of each glass, and place each glass into the ice bath to set for 10 minutes.
• Pick up a parfait glass, and give it a little jiggle to confirm the layer has set enough to receive - and support - the next layer. Then repeat Step 7 with the lemon mixture, allowing it to set until firm in the center, about 30 minutes.
• Continue layering the buttermilk and lemon gelatins alternately, until the glasses are full, allowing each layer to fully set in the ice bath before proceeding to the next. Add more ice to the ice bath as needed, and don't be tempted to hasten the process. If either mixture begins to firm up while you are working and is no longer spoonable or pourable, gently rewarm it for a few seconds over a pan of simmering water to liquify once more.
• Cover and refrigerate the parfaits until thoroughly chilled and fully set, or up to 2 days. Before serving, be certain to temper for 20 minutes at room temperature for perfect, tender results. Finish with whipped cream.

LEMON MERINGUE PARFAIT

Steps:

• Line a 20cm round tin, preferably loose-based, with cling film, using more than one piece if necessary to cover the bottom and up the sides, and pop in the freezer.
• Roughly break up the meringues with your fingers into a bowl, aiming for nothing bigger than a golf ball.
• Put the cream and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until starting to stiffen. Stop when it looks floppy, like Greek yogurt.
• Grate over the lemon zest and sprinkle over the gin and meringue rubble. Use a large spoon or spatula to fold the cream up, over and round, until just combined.
• Stir the lemon curd so it's gloopy rather than firm; if it remains too thick, dilute with a tsp of gin. Dollop over the surface of the cream. Take your spoon and fold it in, turning the bowl as you do so - no more than a dozen folds, so the curd forms streaks. Spoon gently into the tin and freeze for at least four hours. Once firm, cover with cling film.
• About 10-20 mins before serving, remove the parfait from the freezer, invert onto a plate, peel away the cling film, and return right-side-up, at room temperature. Serve in wedges with lemon curd drizzled over and the fruit on the side.

LEMON PARFAIT

Steps:

• Layer the lemon curd with scoops of lemon buttermilk sherbet, lemon sorbet, and rich lemon ice cream in two tall glasses. Sprinkle with the diced candied lemon rind. Serve immediately.

WHITE BORSCHT

Steps:

• Cut kielbasa into 4 equal lengths, and cover in a pot with 3 quarts cold water and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then let gently boil for 25 minutes more until swollen and cooked through and beads of oil have formed. Pull sausages from the now smoky and seasoned water, and set aside. Save that water!
• While the kielbasa simmers, split leeks in half lengthwise, then soak and rinse in cold water to thoroughly remove all sand. Slice leeks into 3/8-inch half-moons from whites to dark greens, as far up as is viable.
• Peel potatoes, trim all four sides to stabilize on the cutting board and trim both ends to "box" the potato. Save the scraps. Cut the boxes into large cubes, about 3/4-inch square.
• In a sturdy soup pot, melt 1 stick butter over low heat until foaming. Stir in onion, garlic and a healthy pinch of salt, and let them sweat for a full 5 minutes until translucent.
• Stir in remaining butter, the sliced leeks and another generous pinch of salt, then let sweat slowly over low heat for 8 minutes until moist, bright green and glossy.
• Add potato scraps, the cube of bread and half the kielbasa boiling liquid. Let gently simmer 10 minutes while the potato scrap softens and the bread hunk becomes flabby and swollen. If you need to increase the heat to get a little simmer going, do so.
• Meanwhile, slice kielbasa in half lengthwise. Place two pieces back into the soup pot as is, and then slice the remaining 6 pieces into very thin, 1/8-inch half-moons, and set aside.
• Retrieve the soggy lump of sourdough bread with a slotted spoon, and don't worry if you also get a few bits of leek or onion or whatever is floating in the soup when you pull it out. Also remove about 1 cup of liquid, and set aside.
• Add potato cubes and the rest of the kielbasa liquid to the pot. Add another pinch of salt and half the black pepper. Let it come back to temperature, and then to simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes more.
• Using either a stick blender or a traditional blender, purée the sodden hunk of bread until foamy, using some of the liquid you pulled in Step 8, if needed. Stir this back into the soup pot once the potatoes are cooked through, and add the sliced kielbasa as well.
• Whisk the crème fraîche with 1/2 cup of the hot reserved liquid; stir mixture into the soup. Stir in the chopped dill and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon pepper. Serve very hot.