Chilled Summer Beetroot Soup, Eaten Alive smoky pink kraut, sour cream & dill

INGREDIENTS

• 6-7 uncooked beetroots
• Water to cover
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Good handful of sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Large knob of butter
• 1 generous tablespoon of ‘Eaten Alive’ smoky pink kraut (sauerkraut) per soup bowl
• Generous dollop of sour cream
• Generous dollop of cottage cheese
• Zest of a lemon
• 1 tsp chopped dill
• 1-2 dill pickles
• Milled black pepper, to serve
• Glug of extra virgin olive oil, to serve

MISE EN PLACE

• Scrub the outside of the beetroots in cold water to clean.
• Ready a pan of water with the red wine vinegar, pinch of salt and handful of sugar.
• Combine together the sour cream, cottage cheese, lemon zest and chopped dill.
• Using a mandolin or sharp knife, finely slice the dill pickles length ways.
• Plug in liquidiser ready.

METHOD

• Place the scrubbed beetroots in the pan and boil over a high heat for an hour and a bit.
• Reserve the stock and then let the beetroots cool.
• Rub the skins off with your hands (wear gloves if you can’t handle it).
• Strain the stock through a sieve and reduce down for 10-15 minutes
• Dice half of the beetroots into fingernail size cubes.
• Blend the rest of the beetroots with the stock and a large knob of butter.
• Taste to see if the sweetness is there and add more butter or seasoning where required.
• Chill down the soup and diced beetroot.
• Take your bowl(s) and build the sauerkraut high in the centre.
• Then ladle your soup around the kraut, scattering a good handful of diced beetroot for texture.
• Dollop the sour cream mixture on top of the kraut or slightly to the side, still retaining height.
• Bend / twist the wafer thin dill pickles slightly and arrange again in the centre.
• Repeat this kraut, cream and pickle layering to get the required height for the dish.
• Grate more lemon zest and add a few fronds of dill.
• Finish with milled black pepper and a glug of extra virgin olive oil.

BATTERIE DE CUISINE:

• Cooking pot
• Wooden spoon
• Liquidiser
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Ladle
• Serving vessel
• Bowls
• Pepper mill
• Tea towel