Chilled Spring Carrot Soup With Prawns, Lime, & Coriander Cream

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 leek, sliced 1/2 inch (white part only)

1 onion, sliced 1/2 inch

1 stalks celery, sliced 1/2 inch

1/2 teaspoon garlic, chopped

12 pieces California bunch carrots, (2 set aside and the rest thinly sliced 1/4 inch)

2 quarts vegetable stock

1 sachet (1/2 tsp each coriander, fennel, peppercorns, parsley, thyme)

1 pint fresh carrot juice

2 limes, zested and juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon finely chipped cilantro

1 lime, zested

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

18 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 clove crushed garlic

1 teaspoon chili flake

Salt and pepper to taste

Carrot shavings

Carrot dice

Cooked and chilled shrimp

Whipped

Cilantro leaves

In a large pot over medium heat start with two tablespoons of the olive oil and then sweat the leek, onion, celery, ginger until very tender, about 15 minutes.  Add carrots, salt, pepper and then continue to sweat for 10 minutes more.  Add the stock and sachet then simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots are very tender.  Puree the soup until it is very smooth and then strain it through a fine mesh sieve.  Chill the soup for several hours or until it is very cold.  Add the fresh carrot juice then season with the lime juice.  Season with sal and pepper to taste.

Take one of the carrots that were set aside and use the manolin or peeler to make very thin lengthwise shavings.  Store the shavings in ice water.  When ready to server, drain the water and pat dry.

Cut the remaining carrot into a small 1/2 X 1/2 ince dice.  Then heat the remaining olive oil in a small saute pan and toss in the carrots.  Gently cook them with no color until they are tender about 7 minutes.  Season the carrots with a squeeze of lime juice and then refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large bowl, whip the cream to medium peaks and then add in the chipped cilantro leaves and lime zest.  Season the cream with salt and pepper to taste, then store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a medium saute pan bring the olive oil to medium heat.  Toss in the garlic and then cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side or until they are fully cooked all the way through. Season them with the chili flake and salt, then store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Place the carrot shavings, cooked carrot dice, shrimp, cilantro leaves, lime zest and dots of the whipped cream stylishly down in a bowl.  Just before enjoying pour the chilled soup over the garnish at the table and enjoy.