Chilled Cucumber Soup With Warm Salmon
- 2 medium-sized cucumbers
- 8 ounces plain low-fat yogurt
- 2 or 3 sprigs fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and cayenne pepper
- Olive oil, as needed
- 6 ounces salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 12 thin 1-inch squares
- Peel the cucumbers, halve them lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon, reserving seeds.
- Cut up the cucumbers, setting aside a one-and-one-half-inch length for garnish if desired, and place in a food processor with the yogurt and dill.
- Puree until smooth.
- Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl; whisk in the cream.
- Place the reserved cucumber seeds in the food processor and process briefly.
- Strain the liquid from the seeds into the puree (this adds more cucumber flavor); discard the seeds.
- Season the soup with salt and cayenne; cover and chill at least two hours.
- At serving time, cut the reserved cucumber into quarter-inch cubes; salt lightly and set aside.
- Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy skillet, preferably nonstick.
- Pat the squares of salmon dry; season lightly with salt, if desired.
- Add the salmon to the skillet and saute quickly over medium heat, turning once, until lightly golden, about two minutes total.
- Place three pieces of salmon in each soup bowl; place diced cucumber and a sprig of dill in the center.
- Pour the cold soup gently over the warm salmon and serve immediately.
cucumbers, lowfat yogurt, dill, heavy cream, salt, olive oil, salmon fillet
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8091 (may not work)