Onion ice cream with smoked swordfish and crispy ham
- Starter
- challenging
- 4
- 2 hours
PT2H
With its stunning garnish of edible flowers you would be forgiven for thinking this ice cream recipe from Roberto Petza is a delicious dessert, but the delicate leaves hide a savoury onion ice cream, served with salty shards of dried ham and slices of home-smoked swordfish. This elegant starter requires a few pieces of cheffy equipment, but each component of the dish can be prepared in advance making it an excellent option for an impressive dinner party menu.
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Onion ice cream
- 500g of white onion, thinly sliced
- 250g of salt
- 100g of sugar
- 100g of water
- 150g of milk
- 175g of cream
Smoked fish
- 100g of swordfish steak
- 1 garlic clove
- 10g of thyme
- 10g of rosemary
- 100g of coarse sea salt
Crispy ham
- 3 slices of Parma ham
To serve
- 1 slice of flatbread, such as carasau bread
- fronds of fresh dill
- nasturtium leaves
- edible flowers
- extra virgin olive oil
Equipment
- Food processor
- Hand blender
- Smoking gun
- Pacojet
Method
1
Begin by preparing the swordfish. Place the garlic, thyme, rosemary and salt in a food processor and blitz together until combined
- 1 garlic clove
- 10g of thyme
- 10g of rosemary
- 100g of coarse sea salt
2
Place the swordfish in a shallow dish and cover completely with the flavoured salt. Leave to marinate for 1 hour and 15 minutes
- 100g of swordfish steak
3
Meanwhile, place the sliced onions in a colander and position over the sink or a large bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and mix until evenly distributed. Leave to stand for at least 1 hour to draw out excess moisture from the onions
- 500g of white onion, thinly sliced
- 250g of salt
4
Preheat the oven to 145°C/gas mark 1
5
Spread out the Parma ham slices on a baking tray and place in the low oven for 1 hour to dry out. Once crisp and dry, allow to cool then crumble into shards and reserve until ready to serve
- 3 slices of Parma ham
6
Once the onions have stood for an hour, rinse thoroughly under cold running water until the salt has been completely removed
7
Transfer to a large pan with the sugar and water and place over a medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 10–15 minutes, until the onions are transparent. Add the milk and continue to simmer for another 5–10 minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly
- 100g of sugar
- 100g of water
- 150g of milk
8
Remove from the heat and blend the onion mixture until smooth. Allow to cool completely, then pass the cooled mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and mix in the cream. Transfer to a Pacojet container and freeze
- 175g of cream
9
Remove the swordfish from the salt marinade and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper, place in a container with a fitted lid and use a smoking gun to smoke for 30 minutes
10
Meanwhile, transfer the ice cream from the freezer to a Pacojet machine and churn to create a smooth ice cream
11
Remove the smoked swordfish and slice as thinly as possible. Cut the flatbread into 4 small rectangles, each about 3cm long
- 1 slice of flatbread, such as carasau bread
12
To serve, place a piece of flatbread in the centre of each plate and top with a quenelle of onion ice cream, covering with a few thin slices of the smoked swordfish. Sprinkle the crumbled ham over the plate, garnish with sprigs of dill, nasturtium leaves and edible flowers and finish with a drizzle of olive oil
- fronds of fresh dill
- nasturtium leaves
- edible flowers
- extra virgin olive oil
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Onion ice cream with smoked swordfish and crispy ham
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