Cool dishes for hot nights.
On a night so hot and still that playing a game of 500 brought on a sweat, a discussion around the dinner table about flavours that cool inevitably turned to chilled soups. Considerable debate was had and I was surprised how much scorn was poured on gazpacho, despite it being full of summery flavours. “Puréed salad” was the kindest comment. A few favoured a 70s-style silky avocado soup, despite its similarity to guacamole; popular, too, was the French classic vichyssoise, a potato soup enriched with plenty of cream that must be served fridge-cold. Universal in its acceptance, though, was a soothing bowl of cucumber soup; everyone agreed the smell alone was enough to refresh, especially when garnished with chilled prawns.
With its stunning simplicity, cucumber soup needs only a hot day for its properties to be fully appreciated. At the risk of causing mild panic and a certain degree of outrage, I feel it only prudent to point out that because too much raw cucumber can cause indigestion, I first salt it for 30 minutes. This deals with the problem.
CUCUMBER AND PRAWN SOUP
1 telegraph cucumber
salt and black pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 small red chilli
300ml natural yoghurt
juice of a lemon
a handful of mint
200ml cream
a handful of parsley sprigs
8 cooked prawns
Peel the cucumber, then cut in half lengthwise and seed. Chop the flesh into small dice, place in a colander over a bowl, sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Discard the drained liquid. Finely chop the garlic. Seed and finely chop the chilli and stir both into the yoghurt with the lemon juice. Finely shred the mint leaves and stir into the yoghurt. Add half the diced cucumber and all the cream, then refrigerate. Finely chop the parsley and roughly chop the prawns, mixing both with the remaining cucumber. Season with a touch of salt. Remove the soup from the fridge, season with a little black pepper and pour into bowls. Place a pile of the prawn mixture in the centre of each bowl and serve.
Serves 4.
COUSCOUS CAN BE ready to eat in about 10 minutes if you use the precooked variety, as it needs only the briefest soak in hot water or stock. It makes a great substitute for rice, and its light and fluffy texture is an ideal accompaniment to grilled meats. Adding fresh apricots makes a bright-tasting salad that goes well with barbecued chicken.
The list of flavours that cool is not a long one; perversely, this is a hot dish that refreshes. Available at most supermarkets, harissa paste – a Moroccan preparation of garlic, red chillies, cumin and paprika – is a classic seasoning that adds a fiery spiciness to marinades or stews. Try marinating chicken pieces in it before roasting them, then serve with hummus and a yoghurt, cumin and mint sauce.
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH APRICOT COUSCOUS
300ml chicken or vegetable stock
150g couscous
salt
olive oil
1 onion
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 clove garlic
juice and zest of a lemon
6 ripe apricots
1 tsp harissa paste
a handful of parsley sprigs
4 free-range chicken breasts
Bring the stock to the boil in a deep saucepan, then pour in the couscous. Bring back to a simmer, season with salt and cook for 10 minutes until the couscous is tender. Drain through a sieve. Let it cool to room temperature, then tip it into a large bowl. Toss with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.
Finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a large frying pan, then cook the onion over a medium heat until soft and translucent. Peel and crush the garlic, then add to the frypan with the lemon zest and cook a few more minutes. Halve and stone the apricots, then cut each piece into thirds and stir into the onion mixture. Remove from the heat and stir into the couscous. Add the lemon juice, harissa paste and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Roughly chop the parsley, add to the bowl and gently toss together. Check the seasoning, adding a little salt if required.
Preheat the grill or barbecue. Oil the chicken and cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. This should take about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and slice each breast into 5-6 pieces. Place a pile of couscous in the centre of each plate and top with chicken slices. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
SUMMER NIGHTS are the perfect time for old-fashioned desserts. Nothing is more charming than a bowl of meringues, fragrant with dried rose petals. A generous bowl of whipped cream (you always need more than you think) and some sharp-flavoured raspberries and boysenberries tossed in a simple sauce are a perfect accompaniment.
This meringue recipe uses cornflour, which helps keep the centres soft. It’s easier to make a lot of meringues so that any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for another day. As an alternative, smash the meringues into rough chunks, stir into the cream, mix in the berries and serve with the sauce. It’s a version of the classic British dessert Eton Mess – a summery Billy Bunter of a dish.
ROSE-PETAL MERINGUE WITH SUMMER BERRIES AND STRAWBERRY SAUCE
5 egg whites
300g caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp dried rose petals
300ml cream
250g raspberries
250g boysenberries
Sauce
250g strawberries
juice of a lime
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a flat baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Using an electric beater, whip the egg whites until firm, then whisk in the sugar. Fold in the cornflour and rose petals and place large spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes. If they brown too much, open the oven door and turn down the heat. When the meringue tops are crisp, remove them from the oven and leave to cool.
To make the sauce, purée the strawberries and lime juice in a blender. If the flavour is too sharp, add a little icing sugar.
Whip the cream until it looks like soft, billowing clouds and can barely hold its shape. Mix the berries in a bowl. Place a meringue on each plate with a pile of cream next to it. Scatter the berries over the cream, then pour over the sauce.
Serves 4.