Chilledfruitandchampagnesoup Recipes

CHILLED FRUIT AND CHAMPAGNE SOUP

Steps:

• You need some plain, flat white soup or pasta bowls for this to work well.
• Place a 440g can of red fruit (cherries, berries, plums) and a 440g can of orange fruit (peaches, apricots) in the fridge overnight. Process each can separately. Puree the fruit and the juice or syrup in a blender, use enough of the syrup or juice to puree the fruit easily, this will be between about half to all of it. Then pass through a sieve to a 1litre jug. Rinse the blender and sieve before doing the second can of fruit and putting it in a different jug.
• Cover each jug with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until just before serving.
• Add the champagne to each jug so they are have increased by half again once you have stirred the fruit and champagne together and the foam has been mixed inches This will only use about half of the bottle.
• Hold a jug in each hand and pour both fruit mixes into a chilled bowl at the same time from opposite sides of the bowl. They should meet in the middle. Use a toothpick to make a small swirling pattern where the two colours meet.
• If you have a helper in the kitchen to pour a third jug, you could add a third can of white fruit (apples or pears).
• This is a very simple dish and once you have made it a couple of times you will feel able to experiment quite happily but remember to use cans of fruit rather than fresh as it saves a lot of hassle cooking the fruit and there is consistency in the amount of fruit in each can.
• Beware that the combination of fruit and alcohol can affect people more noticeably that they would expect.

CHAMPAGNE MELON SOUP WITH RASPBERRY ICE BALLS

Steps:

• In a blender, combine raspberries with 4 tablespoons water. Purée until smooth. Line a strainer with cheesecloth, and set over a bowl. Pour in purée, and twist cloth to squeeze out purée. Stir in 4 teaspoons of sugar, or to taste. Spoon mixture into an ice cube tray that makes round balls or another decorative shape. Freeze until firm.
• Cut honeydew melon in half, and remove seeds. Using a melon baller, remove flesh from melon to within 3/4 inch of peel. Set aside melon balls. Using a large spoon, scrape out and reserve remaining flesh. Discard peels.
• Cut cantaloupe in half, using a straight cut or saw toothed design. Remove seeds. Using a melon baller, remove flesh to within 1/4 inch of peel; reserve any extra flesh. Cut off bottoms of cantaloupes, so they stand securely. In a large bowl, mix honeydew and cantaloupe melon balls with lemon juice. Place an equal amount of melon balls in each melon half, and refrigerate.
• In a blender, purée any honeydew or cantaloupe flesh that has not been shaped into balls. Press through a fine strainer, and add 2 teaspoons of sugar. Refrigerate if desired.
• To serve, spoon 2 tablespoons of melon purée over melon balls in each cantaloupe half. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut mint leaves into very thin strips, and dust lightly with sugar. Arrange 4 raspberry balls in each melon half, and sprinkle with mint. Set each melon half in soup bowl. At the table, pour Champagne directly into cantaloupe halves, and allow to fizz out and over cantaloupes.

CHILLED PINEAPPLE CHAMPAGNE SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and core pineapples. Set fruit aside and place peel and cores in a large heavy saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over moderate heat for 15 minutes. Strain liquid through cheesecloth, discard solids and return pineapple liquid to saucepan.
• Combine granulated sugar with remaining 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook briefly, approximately 5 minutes, just long enough to make a thin syrup.
• Cut pineapple in chunks, reserving a few slivers for garnish. Sprinkle confectioners' sugar over reserved pieces and set aside in refrigerator.
• Place remaining pineapple in saucepan together with liquid from the cooked peel and the sugar syrup. Add cinnamon if desired, especially if the pineapples are not very flavorful. Place over moderate heat, cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until fruit is soft.
• In a food processor, puree the pineapple and liquid in batches. Coarsely chop the mint leaves and puree with pineapple. Taste and add brandy and salt if desired. Cool slightly, cover and place in refrigerator to chill overnight.
• The next day, stir in white wine and let sit for several hours. About 30 minutes before serving, delicately stir in the chilled Champagne. Serve in bowls set over iced liners. Float pineapple garnish decorated with mint leaves.