Travel + Leisure - India & South Asia
HERB & LEAF SOUP
Serves 4
Ingredients
LETTUCE PURÉE:
• 1 head of lettuce
• 60g baby spinach
• ¼ sweet onion
• 1 unpeeled clove of garlic
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 20g unsalted butter
ROYALE:
• 50g heavy cream
• 50g unskimmed milk
• 1 whole egg
• 180g lettuce purée
WATERCRESS CONDIMENT:
• 1 bunch of pepper watercress
• 40g baby spinach
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 10g butter
• lemon juice (to taste)
• chicken white stock (to taste)
BROTH:
• 2 deboned chicken thighs
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. butter
• 1 tsp. black pepper corns
• 3 green cardamom seeds
• 1 star aniseed
• 1 tsp. fennel seed
• 1 shallot
• 50g ginger
• 200g chanterelle mushrooms
• 1 lemongrass stem
• 2 bunches of chervil
• 1 bunch of tarragon
• 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
• 1 litre mineral water
• 1 bird’s eye chili
• ½ lime
• juice from ½ lime
• olive oil (to taste)
• 4 gold leaves
Method
LETTUCE ROYALE:
• Wash the lettuce, remove the leaves and cut in strips.
• Place a cast iron pan over the heat, add the olive oil and then the butter, sauté the onion and garlic still in its peel, add the lettuce and cook very quickly. When cooked, add the baby spinach leaves and the parsley.
• Cook, then immediately place on ice.
• Once cooled, press through a cloth, and reserve the cooking juice to add to the broth. • Using a blender, mix the lettuce purée with the milk, cream and eggs.
• Adjust the seasoning and mix all the ingredients together. Filter through a conical sieve and set aside in a cool place for at least 3 hours.
WATERCRESS CONDIMENT:
• Heat another pan, add the olive oil then the unsalted butter. Once the colour turns nutty brown, place the watercress and the baby spinach leaves quickly, then deglaze with a little white stock.
• Cook quickly and place on ice.
• Using a blender, mix everything with a little olive oil, a clove of garlic cooked in water for 10 minutes, relax the purée with some of the white stock or water to obtain a supple and light-green watercress purée, then set aside.
BROTH:
• Using an average-sized cast iron skillet, add the olive oil and sauté the boneless chicken thighs without colouring them too much.
• Once golden in colour, add the butter followed by the pepper and the other spices (cardamom, star aniseed, fennel).
• Roast, then add the sliced shallot, ½ stick of lemongrass and ginger cut into pieces. Continue to colour on the heat.
• Add the chanterelles. Deglaze the pan with mineral water.
• Bring to a boil, then skim and cook slowly for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Add the chopped herbs (chervil, tarragon, parsley), the remaining lemongrass, and a bird’s eye chili; cover with a damp cloth and reduce to 2/3. At the end of the cooling time, add the lime zest and infuse for 10 minutes.
• Filter through a conical sieve and set aside.
Finishing touches
• In the bowls that will be placed in a bain-marie, add a small ladle of the Royale. Cover with cooking film and cook in a 90° oven for 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cool the watercress condiment, adding a dash of lemon juice.
• Heat the oille, add a dash of olive oil, make an emulsion and a dash of lemon juice.
• Place a spoonful of watercress condiment on the warm Royale.
• Serve with the hot broth on the side, to pour over at the last moment.