Alan Murchison is Chef Patron of Michelin starred L'Ortolan restaurant near Reading in Berkshire and the author of 'Food For Thought' published earlier this year. He says that he and his team save lots of time making this and many other recipes now because Thermomix removes the need for passing the avocado through a drum sieve 3 or more times to make a smooth enough purée for Michelin standards. The mincing is much quicker, the weighing scales very useful, Thermomix zests the lemon in seconds and emulsifies the dressing perfectly too. Alan and his team rely on their four Thermomix TM31's and are constantly finding new uses for what he calls "the best gadget to enter my kitchen - ever."
Ingredients
- Avocado purée, as per recipe below
- Guacamole, as per recipe below
- 8 long croutons cut from a baguette, brushed with a little
olive oil, baked until golden
- 100g bellota ham, cut into batons, trying not to eat it all as
you cut it!
- 2 blanched asparagus spears per plate
- 50g Parmesan shavings
- pea shoots
- 12 leaves red chicory
- 8 pissant leaves
- lemon oil dressing, as per recipe below
Method
Make the avocado purée and guacamole. Do this 2 to
3 hours before you want to use them to allow the flavours to
infuse, and keep them in the refrigerator. Assemble the dish at the
last minute. Dress with lemon oil dressing at the table.
Alan's avocado tip: To stop peeled avocados discolouring while
you are working, place them in a bowl and cover with milk.
Avocado Purée Thermomix time 1
minute
- 2 avocados, peeled and stoned
- juice of 2 limes
- 60g water
- 85g olive oil
- 1 medium green chilli, deseeded
- 25g coriander
- 2 large spring onions, cut in 2 cm lengths
- 1 large shallot, peeled and quartered
- ½ tsp salt plus pepper to taste
Blend the flesh of one avocado with the lime juice, water and
olive oil in a Thermomix 30 seconds/Speed 8 until a smooth
purée. Weigh the coriander on the TM lid, then finely
chop the chilli, coriander, spring onions and shallots by dropping
them through the hole in the TM lid onto the running blades at
Speed 9. Scrape down the sides and lid of the TM bowl and
finely chop the remaining avocado flesh 5 seconds/Speed 4.
Season to taste.
Guacamole Thermomix time 30 seconds
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled and stoned
- 1 chilli
- 5g coriander
- 70g red onion
- 10g lime juice
- 1 plum tomato, peeled, deseeded
- 40g extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Weigh the coriander on the Thermomix lid, then mince the chili
and coriander by dropping them onto the running blades at Speed
9. Turn to Speed 5 and finely chop the red onion by dropping
it on the running blades. Add the remaining ingredients and
mix 3 to 5 seconds/Speed 4 until the tomato is chopped. Season to
taste.
Lemon Oil Dressing Thermomix time 1 minute 10
seconds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- thinly peeled skin of 2 lemons
- 200g fresh lemon juice
- 220g olive oil
- 220g groundnut oil
- 50g white wine vinegar
Grind salt, sugar and lemon peelings 10 seconds/Speed 10 in a
Thermomix. Using the built-in weighing scales, weigh in the
rest and blend 1 minute/Speed 10. Add more sugar if necessary
and season to taste, blend in. Keep in the refrigerator for
up to 48 hours.