- Serves 4 as a starter
- 250g white crabmeat (from a 1.5kg freshly cooked crab)
- Olive oil for cooking and serving
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 600g asparagus, woody parts removed, thinly sliced
- 300ml double cream
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the seaweed oil
- 2 large handfuls of gutweed, thoroughly washed and picked
- A large handful of spinach leaves
- 500ml sunflower oil
Chilled asparagus soup, crabmeat and seaweed oil
Nathan Outlaw
27th April 2016
Chilled asparagus soup, crabmeat and seaweed oil
Chefs often regard crab meat as a two-in-one ingredient. While white meat contains a light and sweet flavour the brown meat is often richer in taste meaning it can be used as a mix and on its own due to its unique flavour. Why not give the following Chilled asparagus soup, crabmeat and seaweed oil recipe a try in your kitchen? This is my recipe for Chilled asparagus soup, crabmeat and seaweed oil. When asparagus is at its best in the UK, so are the prized male ‘cock’ crabs and it makes perfect sense to pair these two delicacies. The result is magic and one of my all-time favourites. I finish this simple dish with a drizzle of emerald green seaweed oil, which I make from the gutweed we gather around the beaches close to the restaurants. If you find it hard to get hold of, make a parsley or chive oil following the same method instead.
Ingredients
Method
To prepare the seaweed oil, bring a pan of water to the boil, add the seaweed and spinach and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove and plunge into a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain thoroughly and squeeze out all excess water. Tip into a blender, add the oil and blend for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or jug, cover and refrigerate until needed.
To make the soup, heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the shallots and potato and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the potato is cooked.
Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the cream, bring back to the boil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the soup to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Set a bowl (large enough to hold the soup) over another bowl filled with ice. Pour the soup into the top bowl to cool it quickly. When cold, cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve. Chill 4 soup bowls too.
To serve, check the crabmeat for any fragments of shell or cartilage. Divide most of the crabmeat between the chilled soup bowls, holding a little back for the garnish. Season the crabmeat and add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Give the soup a good stir and check the seasoning again. Share the soup equally between the bowls and top each one with some crabmeat. Finish with a drizzle of seaweed oil.
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