Apple and Cheddar Soup

Here is a recipe from last winter that we are happily looking forward to working with again.

**Apple and Cheddar Stock**

– 230 grams onion
– 480 grams aged cheddar
– 900 grams apple cider

Slice the onions 3 centimeters thick. Dice the cheddar into 5 centimeter chunks. Combine the onions, cheddar, and cider in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally dissipate. Alternatively, combine the onions, cheddar, and cider in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Bring the ingredients to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for one hour. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the finished stock through a fine mesh strainer lined with damp cheesecloth. Discard the solids. Reserve until needed.

**Apple and Cheddar Soup**

– Strained Apple and Cheddar Stock
– 650 grams peeled apple

Place the peeled apples and the apple and cheddar stock in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and then let the pressure dissipate naturally. Alternatively, combine the stock and apples in a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a simmer and cook until the apples are tender. Puree the cooked apple and stock mixture in a blender until it is completely smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, cool, and reserve.

**Cheddar Milk**

– 500 grams milk
– 250 grams aged cheddar cheese

Place the milk and the cheddar cheese into a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes to melt the cheese. When the cheese has broken down, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the mixture steep for twenty minutes and then strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Let the contents drip through the cheesecloth. Press gently on the solids to allow the moisture to be extracted from the solids. When the liquid is strained, discard the solids and reserve the cheddar milk.

**Cheddar Tofu**

– 385 grams cheddar milk
– 260 grams firm tofu
– 1.5 grams fine sea salt
– 1.3 grams high acyl Gellan (0.2%)
– 1.3 grams low acyl Gellan (0.2%)
– 1 Pyrex dish 22.5 x 22.5 centimeters

Place the cheddar milk, tofu, and sea salt in the blender. Puree the mixture until it is silky smooth. With the blender still running, sprinkle both Gellans into the vortex to evenly disperse the hydrocolloids in the mixture. Once the Gellans are dispersed, pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed pot. Turn the heat on medium and stir the mixture as it heats. Continuous stirring prevents the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot and allows it to heat evenly. Warm the Pyrex dish in a 95°C oven. The warming of the dish will prevent the hot cheddar mixture from seizing when it is poured from pot to dish. Continue to stir and cook the mixture until it reaches 90°C. When the mixture has reached this temperature, the Gellan will be fully hydrated. Quickly transfer the mixture from the pot into the warmed Pyrex dish. Pour the liquid as quickly as you are able to without splashing, keeping the flow as smooth and even as possible because the Gellan in the mixture sets rapidly once it is removed from the heat. Cool the cheddar tofu in the dish. When the tofu is cold, remove it from the pan and trim off any rounded edges. Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm cubes and reserve on a tray in the refrigerator.

**Spicy Pickled Apples**

– 110 grams onion
– 18 grams garlic
– 5 grams jalapeño pepper
– 10 grams Espelette pepper puree
– 50 grams apple cider
– 2 grams fine sea salt
– 25 grams lime juice
– 3 Granny Smith apples

Place the first seven ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine meshed conical strainer. Peel the apples and cut the rounded edge off the apples. Place the apples on a cutting board with the stem side up. Cut a slice 1 cm thick off the left and right sides of each apple. These slices will be larger planks. Cut slices 1 cm thick off the top and bottom sides of each apple to create two smaller planks. Cut these planks into 1 cm cubes of apple. Place the diced apple in a vacuum bag. Compress the fruit and seal with a vacuum sealer on high pressure. The compression will transform the apples from opaque to translucent. The compression and its effect on the fruit will take a few minutes after the apple comes out of the machine. Let them rest in the bag for 5–10 minutes. Once the apples appear translucent, open the bag and transfer them to a fresh bag and add the pickling liquid. Seal the new bag on high pressure. Refrigerate the mixture for two hours. Once the apples have marinated, remove them from the bag and strain off the pickling mixture. Place the apples in a small bowl, cover them, and reserve them in the refrigerator until needed.

**To Assemble**

– Apple and Cheddar Soup
– Cheddar Tofu
– Spicy Pickled Apples
– Sliced Chives

In a pot over medium heat, bring the apple and cheddar soup to a simmer. Place the spicy pickled apples in a small pan and warm gently. The juices from the apples will keep them moist. Place the cheddar tofu in a large pan with 20 grams of water and cover with a lid. Heat the tofu on medium heat so that it steams gently and becomes heated through. When the soup is hot, use an immersion blender or a stand blender to puree it and make sure it is smooth and homogenous. In each soup bowl, arrange eight cubes of pickled apple and eight cubes of cheddar tofu in a pile on the left-hand side of the bowl. Alternate the pieces of apple and tofu to build the pile of cubes. When the cheddar and tofu are in place, sprinkle them with chives and pour the hot soup around the pile of cheddar tofu and spicy pickled apples. Serve immediately.