Chilled Vichyssoise, Oscietra Caviar,

Beignets Of Hawkesbury Oytsers

 

 

Vichyssoise ( makes approx 1 litre )

150     grams             white onions sliced finely

350     grams             leeks, sliced finely

175     grams             potatoes, peeled and diced into even sized pieces

25       mls                  chinese oyster sauce

700     mls                  white chicken stock, warm

150     mls                  cream

4          sheets                        gelatine leaves

2          each                iso gas chargers for cream siphon

30       grams             butter

 

Oyster Beignets

8          each                Hawkesbury oysters

1          recipe             beignet batter

1          whole              leek, sliced finely and washed

20       gms                butter

50       ml                    dry white wine

100     ml                    cream

 

To Serve

40       grams             oscietra caviar

40       grams             salmon roe

20       grams             mini croutons

10       grams             chives, finely sliced

 

This is the only dish that was  on the Berowra menu since the entire time it was open. It is a new take on the classic chilled soup of vichyssoise and when paired with caviar and the crisp warm beignets of local oysters it raises this classic dish to new levels. This dish is best suited to a glass of champagne or a crisp Riesling.

 

 

For the Vichyssoise: melt the butter in a stainless steel pan and add the leeks and onions. Cover and ‘sweat’ without clouring until the leeks and onions are tender, about 8 – 10 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and the oyster sauce ( optional ) and then stir well. Pour in the warm chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and start to break down. Add the cream, bring back to the boil for a couple of minutes. remove from the stove and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with sea salt if necessary. Add the gelatine leaves and stir well. Using a Thermomix or high speed blender blend the Vichyssoise and then chill in the refridgerator. When the soup has fully chilled and set in the fridge, spoon the mixture into a iso cream whipper canister and charge up with two gas cartridges. Shake well and keep chilled until needed.

 

For the garnish: sweat the sliced leeks in the butter with a lid until they are tender without colouring them, about 8 -1 0 minutes. Remove the lid and add the white wine, cook away until the wine has evaporated and tehn add the cream and season with sea salt. Cook gently until the leeks and soft and the cream has reduced.

 

For the oysters: open the oysters if they are not already open and remove the oyster. Keep the bottom halve of each shell and wash carefully to remove any chipped shell. Warm the shells in the oven.

 

To complete: Reheat the leeks and spoon some in each oyster shell and keep warm. Using a demi tasse cup, foam some of the vichyssoise into the cup to half fill it. Spoon in some oscietra caviar and salmon roe, fill the cups with more vichyssoise foam and sprinkle the top of each with mini croutons and chopped chives.

 

Toss the oysters in a little rice flour and shake off the excess. Dip them in batter and quickly fry them in 250c oil. Drain and and then place them o=in each half shell with the creamed leeks. Arrange the oyster shells on a bed of rock salt next to the demi tasse of vichyssoise

 

Makes four servings