Cucumber Gazpacho with Parmesan Custard Recipe

Begin by making the basil oil, as this can be done in advance. Place a blender jug in the fridge for at least an hour to chill it. When it’s cold to the touch, pour the vegetable oil in a saucepan and gently heat to 110°C

Place the basil leaves in the chilled blender jug and pour the hot oil over the leaves. Blitz for a few minutes until completely smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl set in ice water (which will help preserve the colour). Set aside in the fridge until ready to use

To make the gazpacho, return the blender jug to the fridge to chill for at least an hour once again. Once it’s cool, place all the ingredients into the jug, then blitz for a few minutes until smooth. Check the consistency – you can add more bread if you’d like the texture to be slightly thicker. Pass the soup through a fine sieve, taste for seasoning and store in the fridge until ready to serve

For the custards, gently warm the milk in a large saucepan. Add the Parmesan and bread, then transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Season with a pinch of salt, then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool

While the custard base cools, line 8-10 ramekins or bowls (around 8cm in diameter or 90ml volume) with cling film and set up a large steamer. If you don’t have enough ramekins, you can try steaming the custards in larger containers and then carefully cutting out 8-10 circles, but for the best presentation individual ramekins work best

Once the custard has cooled, whisk in the eggs and divide the mixture between your ramekins – you want around 60ml in each one. Steam the custards for 10-12 minutes until they’re just set

While the custards steam, divide the gazpacho between your serving bowls. Carefully turn out the custards into the centre of each bowl, then garnish with a drizzle of the basil oil, the diced cucumber and the edible flowers