Gazpacho sorbet works very well as a palate cleanser, clearing away any lingering flavours and mouthfeel from the previous course. And then energizing the palate for the next course.
An article in The Guardian summarises gazpachos heritage :
The gazpacho is a classic of the genre: refreshing, and full of ripe, summery flavours. Lindsey Bareham‘s description of it as ‘a salad soup’ in A Celebration of Soup is absolutely spot on. It is, essentially, an Andalusian peasant dish designed to stretch cheap ingredients to their absolute limit. Early recipes call only for a mixture of bread, olive oil, garlic, and water. Tomatoes and peppers, imports from the New World, came much later to the party.
The Guardian
Transforming that ‘salad soup’ into a sorbet with an ice cream maker resulted in quite a different dish. This will be a perfect palate cleanser, such as one would use in a multi-course meal. Normally such a palate cleanser would be served after the main course, before the dessert.
There is one ingredient in this gazpacho that is not standard but is particularly appropriate for a sorbet. That is the gin. It works just as well here as it does in this cucumber fennel sorbet.
This gazpacho sorbet was originally conceived as a topping for this faux gras. It worked very well, setting up a great taste and temperature contrast. Or, try a teaspoon of the gazpacho sorbet on a rice cracker with an anchovy fillet. Top with a piece of black garlic. A memorable hors d’oeuvre.
Gazpacho sorbet
Ingredients
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 1 medium red pepper
- 2 tsp Tabasco or similar fermented hot sauce like Kaitaia Fire from New Zealand
- 1 medium cucumber
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 shallots peeled and diced
- 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 Tbsp gin Hendricks preferred as it works together with the cucumber.
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5 large cloves black garlic halved (or 10 small ones)
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.
- Put in the ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturers instructions until thick and icy.
- Transfer to a plastic container (flat, with a lid) and store in the freezer for 6 hours or preferably overnight.
Black quinoa and roasted vegetables
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