Chill Out

Mulligatawny Soup

Trummer’s toque Clayton Miller claims to be a sucker for cold soups—“tomato, watermelon, cucumber, carrot and so on!” he says of some of his favorite produce to put on ice. He trumpets their versatility (Miller enjoys pairing them with “shellfish, pickled vegetables [and] ceviches,” to name a few delectable options) and refreshment quotient as rock-solid reasons to add them to your cooking repertoire.

Clayton Miller
Executive chef, Trummer’s on Main

Photograph by James Kim

Prep time: 5 min.
Cook time: 30 min.
Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
5 shallots, peeled and sliced
1 large tomato, diced
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound)
1 cup toasted fresh coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut (reserve 1/4 cup for garnish)
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup dry vermouth
3 cups filtered water
4 cups cream
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
Salt to taste

Crab Salad Option
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients together and serve alongside the Mulligatawny soup.

PREPARATION
1. Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-gauged pot.

2. Add dry ingredients, and sweat for 15 minutes (or until well incorporated).

3. Add and reduce the dry vermouth by 75 percent. Add water and continue simmering (about 10 minutes). Add cream and coconut milk; simmer 5 more minutes.

4. Transfer from stovetop to blender, and puree in batches (around 1 full minute per filling, depending on the size of your blender). Strain and place in refrigerator to chill thoroughly (preferably till ice cold). Spoon into individual bowls and serve (solo or with complementary crab salad).

(August 2010)