Gazpacho velouté with basil-olive-oil sorbet (summer in a bowl!)
| July 27, 2010 | Posted by ameliaps under gazpacho, soup, soups, summer, vegetables, vegetarian |
I have been patiently waiting to make a perfect gazpacho for a while. I can’t think of a better (and more refreshing) way to “condense” the best flavors of summer (tomatoes, basil, bell peppers, olive oil) in one place! I vividly remember one hot summer many many years ago that I spent with my sister traveling though Spain and tasting the foods of the different regions. Gazpacho was the one food that I ate multiple times during that trip. It is so cooling on a hot summer day.
I was at dinner at Joël brasserie not too long ago with my husband Todd and adored their gazpacho, served with a tomato sorbet. I NEEDED to try to replicate it. I scoured everywhere for the recipe and finally found it here, on starchefs.
However I made quite a few modification to the original. The first one was the quantity. Then I decided that rather than a duplicative and complicated tomato sorbet I would try to make a basil-olive oil sorbet.
I looked extensively through the internet for recipe for an olive oil sorbet and had a hard time finding the perfect one. I found this recipe from “Mio Cibo” blog but ended up modifying in to include basil. I also whisked the egg to avoid the sorbet being too watery or loose. (BTW, at the French laundry they serve olive oil sorbet with an olive oil Madeleine, garden mint, and borage blossom. I will have to think of a dessert way to serve my left-over sorbet…because there was quite a bit left)
Note that usually gazpacho is a mix of summer vegetables pureed in a blender. This wonderful recipe though has a lot more depth and layers of flavor. First of all you slow cook the tomatoes to bring out the flavor. The you marinate the rest of the ingredients with bread, olive oil and sherry vinegar over night. And THEN you blend everything. I ended up also passing everything through a food mill…hence he name “velouté”. I like the soup to be creamy and without bits and pieces.
Finally you serve it with a scoop of the very delicate basil-olive-oil sorbet. Serve chilled.
Trust me, this one is worth the work and will make you look like a star chef 
This is summer in a bowl!!!
If you have to pair it with a wine, Joel suggests a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
Gazpacho velouté
(Inspired by Chef Joël Antunes of JOËL brasserie in Atlanta)
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Cooked tomatoes:1.5 kilos (3.5 lbs)
300 ml (1 cup) water
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
10 leaves basil
Gazpacho:
3 red bell peppers, seeded, sliced and diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, smashed
20 basil leaves
3 cups white bread with no crust, cubed
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
Cooked tomatoes (from recipe above)
For cooked tomatoes: Combine ingredients and cook over double boiler 1.5 hours. Remove garlic.
For gazpacho: Marinate all ingredients PLUS the cooked tomatoes for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove basil and garlic and puree in blender. then, blend through a food mill to make even smoother. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator before serving.
3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
4 Tbsp Honey
¼ tsp Salt
10-15 basil leaves
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Egg White
In a saucepan, combine Water, Sugar, Honey and Salt. Bring to boil while whisking constantly. Remove from heat, add the basil leaves and allow to steep for a few minutes. Strain. Stir in the Juice. Add Olive Oil and emulsify with an immersion blender. Whisk the egg white to stiff peak and emulsify that too in the mix. Process in an ice cream maker according to instructions. If you do not have an ice cream maker, freeze mixture in an airtight container, then remove and allow Sorbet to soften.
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Way fancy with the sorbet! I bet it IS worth the effort, as you said. What a way to jazz up gazpacho for a summer dinner party.
Carolyn: indeed. I actually did not make it for a dinner party…just for me and my family. It was a special treat
your gazpacho looks beautiful, although it seems like a lot of work with cooking tomatoes opposed to classic recipe, where all the ingredients are raw. I'm sure it was very tasty and worth the extra step
what a great idea to serve it with basil and olive oil sorbet!!!
What a beautiful gazpacho! I love the addition of the sorbet. Elegant enough for a summer dinner party!
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