Lemongrass and corn soup with corn confetti

This is a soup that changed my mind about what a good soup should be.

This is an inspired contemporary soup from a master chef. The smooth soup has a wonderful, creamy mouthfeel, and the aromas of lemongrass and a hint of chilli make it supreme. This is a relatively simple soup to make and one that is a true joy to eat. I always double the recipe; you'll crave a second bowl once you've licked the first one clean.

I love Maria Elia's cookbooks, and I have them all. This one, though, is probably my favourite; the recipes are fantastic, and the flavours are creative. Maria Elia honed her skills at the world's best restaurants, ElBulli and Arzak, and has worked in the US and England. She currently does pop-ups in London. Her recipes feature unusual and unique flavour combinations from around the world.

For all recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, white preferred, thinly sliced

1 Thai or red chilli, halved longitudinally, or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon chilli powder

2 teaspoons ginger paste

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 stem lemongrass

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (maida)

5 cups of frozen or fresh corn

4 cups water

2 cups milk

Crème fraîche or heavy cream, to garnish

Cilantro, minced to garnish

For the confetti:

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn

1/2 teaspoon lemongrass, finely minced

1/2 red pepper or mild red chilli, finely diced

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons cilantro

Heat the oil in a pot on low heat and add the onions, fresh chillies and ginger. Sauté on low heat till the onions are soft and translucent but have not taken on any colour. If using chilli powder, add it now and stir for 10 seconds.

Add the salt, pepper, lemongrass, and flour, and give a quick stir to mix them into the flour. Careful, it will stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the corn and water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and taste the soup; if it's too spicy, remove the chilli. You want the soup to have a touch of heat, not have the chilli be overpowering. Also, remember that when you purée the soup, the spices will be diluted significantly.

Continue simmering for another 15 minutes. Cool and add the milk. Remove the lemongrass stalk. Purée the soup in a blender getting it as smooth as possible, it will take some time for the blender to break down the corn skins. Pass the puréed soup through a fine-mesh strainer, working the pulp with a spatula to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The soup at this point should have the consistency of heavy cream, thick enough to hold up the confetti. Taste and adjust salt. The soup should have a distinct aroma of lemongrass, a hint of spice, and the sweetness of the corn should be well-balanced. If the soup is too thick, dilute it with milk; if too thin, simmer gently until thickened.

To make the confetti, heat the oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the corn and lemongrass and fry till the corn has caramelised and taken on colour, about 5 minutes. Add the red chilli/pepper, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes till the pepper is soft and cooked. Take off the heat and cool. Add the cilantro when the mixture is cold and mix well. If you mix the cilantro in when it's hot, it will cook and turn a drab grey, losing its freshness.

To serve, heat the soup and ladle into bowls. Add the confetti in the centre and garnish with additional cilantro and a drizzle of crème fraîche or cream.