Gazpacho with Moutarde D'Orleans Ice Cream: Diary of a Foodie : gourmet.com

Diary of a Foodie

Serves8 (first course)

ADAPTED FROM ALAIN PASSARD

January 2007

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons moutarde d'Orléans (see Cooks' note, below) or other coarse-grained mustard

3 lbs tomatoes, quartered, cored, and seeded
1 cup coarsely chopped fennel bulb (sometimes labeled "anise," about 1/2 bulb, stalks discarded)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper (about 1/2 pepper)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped onion (about 1/2 onion)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cucumber (about 1/2 medium cucumber)
2 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Bring cream and milk just to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks in a medium heatproof bowl. Add half of hot cream mixture to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then return egg mixture to saucepan. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170º to 175ºF on thermometer (do not let boil).
Immediately pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 10 minutes. Whisk in mustard. Freeze custard in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Stir together tomatoes, fennel, bell pepper, onion, cucumber, and garlic in a bowl. Purée mixture in 4 batches in a blender until smooth. Force each batch through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl (combine all 4 batches), discarding solids. Stir in vinegar and salt. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 30 minutes.
Divide soup among 8 soup bowls and drizzle with oil, then grind pepper to taste over it. Top each serving with a small scoop of mustard ice cream.

Cooks' notes:

Moutarde d'Orléans is available at lepicerie.com.
Ice cream keeps 3 days. Soften slightly in refrigerator, 20 to 30 minutes, before serving. Gazpacho can be chilled up to 24 hours.