Chilled beetroot soup with smoked eel, coriander, orange and crème fraîche

Make the coriander oil by blanching the picked coriander for 1 minute in boiling water. Refresh in iced water then place into a clean jay cloth or piece of muslin and squeezing out the excess liquid

Heat the oil to 90°C in a Thermomix before adding the coriander and blitzing on full power for 1 minute. Strain the oil overnight through a fine sieve

Place a frying pan over a low heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the shallots and garlic and cook gently, until soft

Add the beetroot and continue cooking for 10 minutes or so, then add the vinegar to deglaze the pan

Reduce the vinegar by half before adding the water, thyme and salt

Simmer gently for a couple of hours, or until the beetroot is cooked, topping up water if necessary

Transfer to a blender (taking care not to fill more than halfway if the mixture is hot), and blitz until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve

Adjust the consistency with a splash of water if necessary, and check the seasoning before transferring to the fridge to chill until completely cold

Plate up the soup by dividing between 6 bowls, and topping with the diced smoked eel, crème fraîche, micro-coriander leaves and orange segments. Finish with a drizzle of the coriander oil