TRIO OF CREAMS

The idea of a soup trio comes from Casa Santo Domingo’s hotel restaurant in the colonial town of Antigua, in Guatemala. It was one of the most memorable ways to start a dinner I’ve ever experienced. When I hear the word Trio, I think of the classic jazz formation: piano, bass, and drums. How does that translate into food?

This is a first course of three small, shallow cups of lettuce-based creamy soups, each with its own little island of garnish.

You will need: 

- Butter, Romaine, Oak Leaf lettuces.

- Leeks, white and pale green parts only

- Unsalted butter

- Salt & pepper

- All-purpose flower

- Heavy cream

- Chicken stock

- Dry white wine

- Bay leaf

- Yellow onion

- Shallots

- Poire aquavit

- Celery

- Brioche

- Smoked trout roe

- De-salted salt cod

- Garlic

- Parsley

- Mint leaves

- Panko breadcrumbs

- Eggs

- Potatoes

- Small round slices of firm toast.

- Fleur de sel

Method:

Prepare the garnish islands (can be made in advance):

Pickle finely chopped shallots and mint leaves with a little Poire for at least 2 hours.

Shred salt cod, mix with mashed potatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, dip in beaten eggs, roll in Panko flour, bake until golden.

Set a miniature mountain of trout roe on a small round toast. Keep it on a plate over a thin layer of olive oil. That will help it stay afloat. Do the same to the other two mounds of garnish.

Prepare the base:

Melt butter in a heavy pan.

Caramelize thin slices of onions and leeks in low heat. Add celery. Add a little salt.

Once onions and leeks are caramelized, add lettuces and turn down heat to very low.

Just before vegetable juices dry completely, turn up heat and add white wine, letting it evaporate. Add chicken stock, bay leaf, two garlic cloves, black pepper, let it boil, then turn down heat and simmer for a while. Remove bay leaf and garlic. Mix in a blender until smooth, and return to pan. Turn heat down very low, add heavy cream. If you need to thicken it, add a little flour dissolved in warm water.

Assemble the dish:

Pour lettuce cream into small, shallow bowls. Place toast topped with garnish over each bowl. Sprinkle a tiny layer of fleur de sel over everything. Serve with a basket of slightly toasted brioches.