Chilled beetroot soup with smoked eel, coriander, orange and crème fraîche

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Make the coriander oil by blanching the picked coriander for 1 minute in boiling water. Refresh in iced water then place into a clean jay cloth or piece of muslin and squeezing out the excess liquid

2. Step 2

   Heat the oil to 90°C in a Thermomix before adding the coriander and blitzing on full power for 1 minute. Strain the oil overnight through a fine sieve

3. Step 3

   Place a frying pan over a low heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the shallots and garlic and cook gently, until soft

4. Step 4

   Add the beetroot and continue cooking for 10 minutes or so, then add the vinegar to deglaze the pan

5. Step 5

   Reduce the vinegar by half before adding the water, thyme and salt

6. Step 6

   Simmer gently for a couple of hours, or until the beetroot is cooked, topping up water if necessary

7. Step 7

   Transfer to a blender (taking care not to fill more than halfway if the mixture is hot), and blitz until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve

8. Step 8

   Adjust the consistency with a splash of water if necessary, and check the seasoning before transferring to the fridge to chill until completely cold

9. Step 9

   Plate up the soup by dividing between 6 bowls, and topping with the diced smoked eel, crème fraîche, micro-coriander leaves and orange segments. Finish with a drizzle of the coriander oil