Cauliflower velouté with avgotaracho and mastiha-infused olive oil
Cauliflower velouté with avgotaracho and mastiha-infused olive oil
Ingredients for 8 servings
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large cauliflower, finely chopped
a pinch of curry
a pinch of cumin
2 cups milk
6 cups vegetable broth
½ teaspoon Kozani saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 heaping teaspoons avgotaracho or caviar
8 teaspoons mastiha-flavored olive oil for drizzling the soup
Cooking instructions
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion.
Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower and spices and mix well. Pour in the milk and broth, increase the heat, and bring to a boil. Add the Kozani saffron.
Lower the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 30-35 minutes until the cauliflower is soft. Skim off any foam from the surface of the soup while simmering.
Using an immersion blender, blend the cauliflower completely in the pot until it becomes a puree, then strain the soup through a fine sieve. (Alternatively, you can puree the soup in a blender.) Return the soup to the pot. Bring it back to a boil over medium heat. Add the cream and cook, stirring for 5 minutes until it thickens. Stir in the lemon juice and mix again. Just before removing the soup from the heat, stir in the remaining butter. Serve the soup in individual bowls. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of avgotaracho or caviar on each serving spoon and place the spoon in the bowl.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon of mastiha-infused olive oil over the surface of each soup and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
