Chilled pea soup is of three recipes devised by chef Madalene Bonvini-Hamel to ensure fresh peas keep all their flavour and colour during their short season.
INGREDIENTS
(Serves four)
For the chilled pea soup
- 300g fresh garden peas, podded
- 1 large banana shallot
- 50ml vermouth
- 30g butter
- 300ml vegetable or white chicken stock
- 100ml double cream
- 1 sprig of flowering thyme
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Coarse sea salt
For the Parmesan espuma
- 50g flour
- 50g butter
- 400ml full fat milk
- 20g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 60ml double cream
- 150ml vegetable stock or nage
- Coarse sea salt
To serve
- 4tbs blanched fresh garden peas
- 2 soft-boiled gulls' eggs, cut in half and seasoned
- Pea tops
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Selection of edible flowers such as thyme, nasturtium and mizuna flowers
CHILLED PEA SOUP
Wash the podded peas and drain in a colander and bring the stock to the boil.
Peel and slice the banana shallot finely. Heat a large saucepan with the butter and sweat the shallot until tender with no colour, add the peas, thyme and seasoning, cook for a couple of minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the vermouth; add the boiling stock and cream and bring the stock back to the boil. Cook for a few minutes, test if the peas are tender.
Once the peas are cooked, purée the soup in a blender as quickly as possible and pass through a fine sieve over ice to chill the soup rapidly.
Work fast to keep the bright green colour.
PARMESAN ESPUMA
In a medium saucepan melt the butter, add the flour to make a roux, add seasoning.
In a separate saucepan bring the milk and stock to the boil; add ladles of boiling milk-stock one at a time to the cooked roux. Stir well after each addition to secure a smooth sauce. Add the rest of the milk and cook the sauce for six minutes over a moderate heat.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese to the double cream and blend.
Pass the Parmesan cream through a fine sieve and pour into a cream whipper, charge with two pellets, shake vigorously and let the espuma chill over ice.
PROFESSIONAL TIP FOR THERMOMIX USERS
To cook the Parmesan espuma in the Thermomix, first grind the Parmesan, drop the chunks of cheese on to running blades at speed 10 for 20 seconds, pour the ground cheese into a small bowl. Place the butter, stock, flour, milk and seasoning in to the Thermomix bowl. Set the timer for six minutes at 90e_SDgrC speed 4. Once done, add the cream and cheese turn the speed dial to 10 for 10 seconds.
Pass the Parmesan cream through a fine sieve and pour into a cream whipper, charge with two pellets, shake vigorously and let the espuma chill over ice.
While the soup and Parmesan espuma chill, boil two gulls' eggs for four minutes.
Peel the soft-boiled gulls' eggs, cut them in half and season with freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt.
SERVING
Lightly crush the blanched peas with a fork, season with freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt and add a drop or two of the olive oil. Divide the peas between the four soup bowls, carefully place the halved soft-boiled gulls' egg on top of the pile of crushed peas slightly off centre.
Pour the soup around the egg, shake the Parmesan espuma vigorously and squirt it next to the gulls' egg. Garnish with the flowers, pea tops, finely grated Parmesan cheese and a few drops of olive oil.