[Sca-cooks] Soup

[Olwen the Odd]

Someone asked earlier about soup ideas.  Lookie what I found....

By Jacques Torres

Chocolate Soup

8 Servings

For the caramelized bananas:
4 large bananas, peeled & diced
Dark rum 1/4 cup 1.6 ounces 50 grams
Granulated sugar 1/2 cup 3.5 ounces 100 grams
Unsalted butter (Optional) 1 tablespoon 0.5 ounces 14 grams
For the soup:
Whole milk 4 cups 34 ounces 970 grams
Bittersweet chocolate, chopped  10.5 ounces 300 grams
To finish the soup:
7 large egg whites
Powdered sugar 1 3/4 cups 7 ounces 200 grams

Prepare the caramelized bananas: Place the diced bananas in a medium-size
mixing bowl with the rum and toss to coat. Let macerate at room temperature
while you prepare the caramel.

Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. If it starts to
smoke, it is too hot and you need to run it under cool water, drv it, and
start over. When it is warm sprinkle the sugar into the pan. Try to keep the
sugar in an even laver to allow it all to caramelize at the same time. As
soon as you see the sugar begin to melt, start moving the pan over the
burner to keep the sugar from burning. Tilt the pan from side to side so
that the melted sugar runs over the unmelted sugar. Cook until all of the
sugar is a light golden brown. I usually add a tablespoon of butter at this
stage because it makes the caramel smoother. Add- the bananas and rum and
spread evenly in the pan. When cooking with alcohol, there is always the
chance of it catching on fire, so be very careful when adding the rum.
Continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the
bananas are soft but not mushy; they should still hold their shape. Remove
from the heat and pour the caramelized bananas onto a plate. Cover with
plastic wrap and let cool for about 20 minutes. Covering the hot bananas
with plastic wrap keeps the caramel from drying as it cools.

Prepare the chocolate soup: Pour the milk into a 2-quart heavy-bottomed
saucepan and bring to a boll over medium-high heat. Add the chopped
chocolate and stir until well combined and the chocolate has melted. Bring
the mixture to a boll again, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the
heat and set aside while you prepare the soup bowls.

For this recipe, the bowls I use hold 41/2 ounces. You can use any oven-safe
bowls. Place one large spoonful of the caramelized bananas in the bottom of
each soup bowl. The bananas will give texture to the soup, so be generous.
Cover the bananas with the hot soup, filling each bowl three-quarters full.
Set the soup bowls on a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator until
chilled, about 2 hours. The soup wiII set and thicken, allowing it to
support the meringue; it should be well chilled before topping it.

To finish the soup: Place the egg whites in a medium size mixing bowl and
whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the mixer
speed to mediumhigh and make a French meringue by adding the powdered sugar
I tablespoon at a time and whipping the whites to stiff but not dry peaks.

Place the meringue in a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch star tip.
Remove the soup from the refrigerator and pipe the meringue onto the tops in
a decorative pattern. Place the soup bowls in a deep roasting pan or baking
dish and fill it with warm water to come one third of the way up the side of
the bowls. Let stand for about 30 minutes to warm the soup. If you do this
before you serve dinner, the soup should be ready to be gratineed by the
time you have finished eating.
Preheat the oven to 450 F (232 C). Remove the soup bowls from the warm water
bath and place them on a baking sheet. Place in the oven just until the
meringue begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. The soup should not get hot.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.





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