English Pea Soup With Mint With Andrew Food

FRESH PEA SOUP WITH MINT

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large kettle over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and cook 5 minutes until onions have softened. Sir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until its aroma is released. Add the potatoes and saute 5 minutes until they begin to color. Add the chicken stock, lower the heat, and simmer gently 25 minutes until potatoes are soft. Add the peas and cook 3 minutes until tender but still bright green. Puree the mixture either through a food mill, with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, until smooth. Place in a clean pot, stir in the cream, and rewarm gently. Stir in the fresh mint and serve.
• In Portugal, this soup is often made with fresh fava beans. Use them if you can find them. Mint (horteln) grows abundantly in Portugal and is widely used in savory dishes, frequently in combination with coriander (coentro).

ENGLISH PEA SOUP WITH MINT WITH ANDREW

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Add peas, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to stop cooking, then drain again; set aside.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed red-pepper flakes and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
• Place half of the cool peas in blender jar with half of the simmered broth. Cover lid with a kitchen towel, as hot liquid will expand when blended. Puree until smooth. Add half of the creme fraiche and half of the mint, and puree. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Repeat with remaining peas, broth, creme fraiche, and mint.
• Place saucepan over medium heat until hot. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. The soup may be cooled completely at this point and stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to one month. Bring soup to a boil before serving.
• Ladle soup into warm bowls and serve with croutons.

MINTED ENGLISH PEA SOUP WITH LOBSTER AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add peas and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and immediately transfer to ice-water bath. Drain and set aside.
• Slice the top and bottom of both oranges with a paring knife. Set one of the flat sides on your work surface. From top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit, cut away peel and white pith. Trim off any remaining pith. Holding the oranges over a bowl, cut along both sides of each segment, staying close to the membrane, to release. Add onion and chives to bowl; toss to combine.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add lobster and cook until just warmed through. Add peas and orange mixture and stir to combine. Continue cooking until mixture is just warm.
• Divide lobster mixture evenly between four warmed soup bowls. Ladle soup around lobster. Sprinkle with mint flowers, if using, and serve immediately.

MINTED ENGLISH PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, leek, and celery, and cook until soft. Add potatoes and 7 cups vegetable stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Fill another large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt and return to a boil. Add peas and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer peas to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and add to saucepan with vegetables and stock.
• Working in batches, puree the soup in the jar of a blender or bowl of a food processor. Strain liquid twice through a fine mesh sieve into another large saucepan. Add 1 cup of heavy cream and place saucepan over low heat. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Tie mint together using kitchen twine and add to saucepan; let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove mint and discard. If soup seems too thick, add some of the remaining vegetable stock to thin.
• In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the warmed soup. Serve immediately.

PEA SOUP WITH MINT CREAM

Steps:

• Mix creme fraiche or sour cream with chopped mint. Let stand for 30 minutes if serving the soup hot; refrigerate if serving it cold.
• Combine peas with stock in a medium-sized saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer about seven minutes or until the peas are barely tender. Remove two tablespoons of peas with slotted spoons and reserve for garnish. Continue cooking remaining peas about 10 minutes, or until very tender.
• Transfer peas and cooking liquid to a blender or food processor. Puree until very fine. With the machine running, gradually pour in the milk. Continue to process until very smooth. Return to saucepan and simmer over low heat two minutes, stirring often.
• Stir in heavy cream. Bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer soup to desired consistency, about five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill or plan to reheat before serving.
• To reheat soup, place in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring. Reheat reserved peas for 30 seconds in boiling water. Drain well. To serve, ladle soup into shallow bowls, spoon mint cream in the center of each serving and garnish with reserved peas and sprigs of mint.

MINTY PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes for fresh peas, about 2 minutes for frozen.
• Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper.
• Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve warm soup topped with chives, passing crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.

ENGLISH PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Boil 1 quart well-salted water in a large pot. Add peas; cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. (Go by taste rather than time.) Strain peas, saving blanching water, and place them in a bowl of ice water. Puree peas in batches with a little blanching water and pass through a fine sieve or food mill into a large saucepan. Blend, thin with a little hot water if necessary and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook bacon slices on a sheet pan until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove to paper towels. Keep oven on.
• Place bread cubes on the same pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to pick up bacon drippings. Bake until crispy, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
• With a knife, peel and segment tangerines over a bowl to catch the juices. Set aside.
• To serve: Reheat soup over medium heat. Lightly crumble bacon into 4 soup bowls. Add croutons, tangerine segments and a little juice. Add a dollop of creme fraiche and a mint sprig. Ladle in the soup and drizzle with remaining olive oil.