Australian Gourmet Traveller – (02)February 2019 (1)

100 ml olive oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

10 (1.4kg) Lebanese

cucumbers, 9 peeled (peel

reserved) and thickly sliced,

remaining half-peeled, thinly

sliced, covered and chilled

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 litre (4 cups) fish or

vegetable stock

⅔ cup (loosely packed) dill,

plus extra finely chopped

to serve

250 gm sour cream

3 egg yolks

1 cup (loosely packed)

flat-leaf parsley

Large pinch of caster sugar

2 tbsp thinly sliced chives

50 gm salmon roe (optional)

Cool cucumber soup

SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 30 MINS (PLUS CHILLING, STANDING)

“This cooling soup is ideal on those humid summer days when

you need an inner-calming tonic, too,” says Sean Moran.

“Make it either the day prior to serving or early enough for

it to chill. Embellish with whatever seafood you prefer, like

smoked flakes of trout or salmon, crabmeat, barbecued

prawns, seared scallops or oysters and all their briny juices.

If you’re vegetarian, it’s equally satisfying served on its own.”

Sourdough bread and

butter, to serve

1 Heat oil in a saucepan over

medium heat. Add onion and

stir occasionally until softened

(10-12 minutes). Add thickly

slicedcucumber, lemon zest,

stock and two-thirds dill, bring

to the boil then reduce heat to

medium-low and simmer until

cucumber is soft (15-20 minutes).

Remove from heat and cool

briefly,then transfer to a blender

and blend until smooth. Pour

into a large bowl, whisk sour

cream and egg yolks together

in a separate bowl, then whisk

into soup. Cool to room

temperature (2-3 hours).

2 Meanwhile, combine

remaining cucumber with a

large pinch of salt in a small

bowl and stand until liquid

seeps out (30 minutes). Squeeze

excess liquid from cucumber.

3 Add parsley and cucumber

skins to blender with 250ml

soup. Blend until smooth, then

pour into remaining soup. Add

sugar, season to taste with salt

and chill (1-2 hours).

4 Ladle soup into bowls, top

with salted cucumber, chives

and salmon roe, and serve

with bread and butter.

Wine suggestionA soft riesling

with a dry finish, such as the

2018 Grosset Alea Riesling

from the Clare Valley.➤

Freshly shucked

oysters with

tarragon dressing

p 110

ALL PROPS RESTAURANT’S OWN.