Cold cucumber soup with anise croutons and lime crème fraîche

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 cucumber(s)
• some salt
• ½ liter chicken stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• some salt
• some pepper, white
• 2 tbsp oil (rapeseed oil)
• 1 tbsp mint
• 1 tbsp anise
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices of white bread
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche
• 1 tsp lime juice
• some sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Wash the cucumber, remove the seeds, and cut into pieces. Season with salt and let it steep for 1/2 to 1 hour. Discard the water, puree the cucumber thoroughly, add the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, add the rapeseed oil and finely chopped mint, and blend again thoroughly. Chill. Roast the aniseed in a pan without oil, add the oil, heat briefly, and then remove from the heat. Let cool. Grind the aniseed and oil in a mortar and pestle, then strain. Cut cubes of white bread and fry in the oil until crisp. Remove the fat from the pan and place on kitchen paper. Combine the crème fraîche, sugar, and lime juice, and let it steep for a while. To serve: Blend the well-chilled soup thoroughly again, serve in bowls, garnish with the crème fraîche and anise oil, and add some lukewarm croutons.