Watermelon Gazpacho (Embellished!!!)
July 17, 2008
Watermelon
Gazpacho....Embellished!!!
What could be better than
a refreshing cold soup that doesn't require any actual cooking on a blazing hot
day? This bright soup has just an edge of sweetness balanced by a touch of
heat.
Serving Suggestions:
- It may be served as-is as a first course,
or alongside a green salad with toasty bread for a light lunch or
dinner.
- Alternatively, you can gussy it up a
bit and make it a main course by floating a few large, butterflied
and grilled spicy prawns in the middle a shallow bowl; or, use some
small bay shrimp combined with fresh corn kernals and diced avocado to
stick with the "no cooking" theme.
- Not to mention that it would be a lovely
addition to a Sunday brunch menu with bagels and smoked
salmon...
Recipe:
2 1/2 lbs. seedless watermelon
(approximately 1/2 of a small, what's marketed as "personal-sized"
watermelon)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon
juice
1 tablespoon raspberry-infused
vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 of a small jicama, peeled and finely
diced to yield 1 cup
1/2 of a medium sweet white or yellow
onion, finely diced to yield 1 cup
2 celery stalks, finely diced to yield 1
cup
1/2 to 1 whole jalepeno chile pepper,
seeded and minced to yield 1 to 3 tablespoons (adjust heat level to
taste)
10 mint leaves, snipped
into chiffonade
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced
garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white
pepper
Final Garnish:
Good quality extra virgin olive oil, as
needed.
Freshly ground black peppercorns, as
needed.
Sprigs of mint if desired.
Remove rind and any visible seeds from
watermelon and cut into large chunks. Liquefy the melon in a
blender. You should have about 5 cups of watermelon puree.
Pour the watermelon liquid into a large
bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients except for the final
garnish. Adjust salt, acid (more lemon juice or plain white
vinegar) and heat level to your liking. Chill in the refrigerator at least
one hour before serving. Spoon chilled soup in pretty ceramic or glass
bowls or large mugs. Drizzle with a light touch of
extra virgin olive oil and a few twists of black
pepper.
Yield: 6-7 cups
Helpful tips:
After you dice the onions, rinse them in a
colander under cold water to freshen them up by removing the sulphuric
compounds. Pat dry with a paper towel before adding to the
soup.
For grilled spicy prawns, see the
"Rub-a-Dub-Dub" recipe in the archives for the
seasoning.
To prepare fancy toast: Split
sections of baguette horizontally and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with
paprika (smoked pimenton is especially nice) and a pinch of sea salt.
Grill or toast under a broiler.
Wine Suggestions:
Unoaked, just off-dry, fruity, young
whites, rose, or prosecco (Cartizze) -
Examples:
An original recipe by Renee
Kroeger
Eric Stumpf
The Wine
Consultant
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