chilled avocado soup with charred corn + chipotle cream

I’ve been eating and cooking a lot of cold food lately, and this Mexican-inspired chilled soup I concocted the other day is a real dazzler. A harmonious play on tastes and textures – smooth silky avocado, sweet crunchy corn kernels, smoky chipotle, spicy jalapenos and zesty lime. It’s so flavour-packed that it should please carnivores and vegetarians alike. Have it in large bowls with a side of tortilla chips and salsa for a casual meal, or poured into shot glasses for elegant canapés.

Chilled Avocado Soup with Charred Corn and Chipotle Cream
serves 4 as a starter (or a lot more as canapé shots)

1 ripe avocado
2 ears of corn, shucked
2 medium onions, chopped
1 litre (4 cups) water
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 jalapeno chilli, chopped
2 tbsp lime juice

chipotle cream:
60ml (1/4 cup) sour cream
1 tsp chipotle paste
2 tbsp water

Cook the corn under a hot grill (or on a barbecue, if you have one fired up) for 5-10 minutes until lightly charred. Leave to cool, then cut the kernels off the cobs and reserve.

Place the spent cobs in a large saucepan, together with half the corn kernels, water, garlic, salt, and half the chopped onions. Bring to a boil and cook on a moderately high heat for 15-20 minutes, or until reduced by a third. Remove the cobs and discard.

Pour the soup into a blender and whizz with the chilli and remaining onion in a blender and whizz until smooth. Strain into a large bowl through a fine mesh sieve, pushing with the back of a ladle to get as much liquid out as possible

Rinse out the blender. Pit and peel one of the avocados and add to the blender together with the lime juice and the strained soup.

Place soup in a large bowl and cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

Meanwhile make the chipotle cream by mixing the sour cream, chipotle paste and water.

When ready to serve, portion the reserved corn kernels into bowls or shot glasses. Pour over the chilled soup, then top with the chipotle cream (if you have a milk frother or thermo whip you can use it to foam the cream up for presentation).

~ by gourmettraveller on July 18, 2010.