Name: Tomato and Lobster Soup with Cumin and Cucumber Ices
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h 20 min
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 8 tomato; 240 ml tomato essence; 1 g ground cumin; 3 g salt; 0.5 g black pepper; 2 cucumber; 6 g salt; 1 g ground coriander; 5 ml lemon juice; 0.5 g black pepper; 720 ml tomato essence; 2 red bell pepper; 2 yellow bell pepper; 6 g salt; 15 ml lime juice; 0.1 g cayenne pepper; 2 lobster; 3 g fresh chives

Equipment

Food processor

Fine-mesh sieve

Pie plates

or Shallow baking dishes

Large mixing bowl

Small mixing bowl

Ingredients

4 servings

Tomato Essence

8 tomato, cored and quartered

Cumin Ice

240 ml tomato essence
1 g ground cumin
3 g salt
½ g black pepper, ground

Cucumber Ice

2 cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 g salt
1 g ground coriander
5 ml lemon juice
½ g black pepper, ground

Soup Base

720 ml tomato essence
2 red bell pepper, diced
2 yellow bell pepper, diced
6 g salt
15 ml lime juice
⅛ g cayenne pepper
2 lobster, steamed, shelled, and cut into 1.5cm pieces
3 g fresh chives, chopped

Nutrition (per serving)

367

Calories

27g

Protein

61g

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

23g

Sugar

2816mg

Sodium

Method

Process the quartered tomatoes in a food processor until they are finely chopped.

Strain the chopped tomatoes through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to collect the liquid essence; discard the remaining pulp.

Look for: Liquid should be clear or slightly cloudy with no solids.

Mix 240ml of the tomato essence with ground cumin, 3g salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Pour the cumin mixture into a pie plate and freeze for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to create a granular texture.

Process the chopped cucumbers in a food processor until they are completely liquefied.

Stir 3g of salt into the cucumber liquid and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes.

20m

Pass the salted cucumber liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

Whisk the remaining 3g salt, ground coriander, lemon juice, and black pepper into the cucumber liquid.

Transfer the cucumber mixture to a pie plate and freeze for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes until firm but not solid.

Combine the remaining 720ml tomato essence with the diced bell peppers, 6g salt, lime juice, cayenne, and lobster meat in a large bowl.

Place the soup base in the refrigerator until it is thoroughly chilled.

Divide the soup into four bowls, place one scoop of cumin ice and one scoop of cucumber ice in the center of each, and garnish with chives.

Chef's Notes

For the most vibrant tomato essence, use ripe, in-season tomatoes. Overripe tomatoes can lead to a mushy pulp that's difficult to strain effectively.
When making the granitas (cumin and cucumber ices), ensure you scrape and stir frequently to break up ice crystals. This creates a finer, more palate-pleasing texture that melts more gracefully.
Taste and adjust seasoning at each stage, especially for the tomato essence and cucumber liquid, as the freezing process can sometimes mute flavors.
Gently steam the lobster to preserve its delicate sweetness and tender texture. Overcooking will make it tough and less enjoyable in this chilled preparation.
The bell peppers in the soup base should be finely diced to ensure they cook through slightly from the residual chill of the tomato essence and don't remain too al dente.