- Caulinary

Cook Time 45

Wine Saint-Romain Olivier Leflaive, White Burgundy

Servings 4 people

Start by grilling the zucchini. Slice it lengthwise using a cheese slicer or mandoline. When almost at the middle, turn it around. When the middle part gets to thin to slice, keep that part apart for later.
Put the cast iron grill pan on high heat.
Meanwhile brush the zucchini with some olive oil.
Grill each slice on both sides. Make sure you don't crowd the slices. I usually grill 3 or 4 slices at a time.

Chop the shallot finely and cut the left over zucchini as well as the fennel in small pieces. Cut the leek in rings.
Fry the onion on low heat in a frying pan until glassy. Then press 2 cloves of garlic and add those, as well as the chopped vegetables and some butter.
Fry for 5 minutes and then add the white wine. Let it reduce a bit.

Now put all the vegetables (grilled zucchini as well) in a soup pan and add the bay leaves, thyme and the broth. Put it on low heat for 15 minutes.
Then take out the bay leaves and the thyme and use the hand blender to make a smooth soup.

Toast the slice of white bread and cut 12 thumb sized pieces of it. Put crème fraîche on each of them.
Slice both of the eel fillets in 6 pieces (12 in total).
Put 3 pieces of toast on each plate and a piece of eel on each piece of bread. Finish with a leave of zorri cress on each piece of eel.
Put the soup in the Japanese teapot.
Serve the plates without the soup.
Add the soup to the plates at the table, both for dramatic effect and to make sure the toast remains intact until (and mostly during) eating.