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Onion ice cream with smoked swordfish and crispy ham
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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.
First published in 2016
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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
SAVE RECIPE
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
First published in 2016
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