Chef Harold Moore at Bistro Pierre Lapin in New York City has brought an onslaught of new dishes to his menu to highlight the best of spring's bounty. New items include lamb navarin (Moore's take on the traditional spring dish featuring lamb shoulder braised with asparagus, baby turnips, baby carrots, radishes, peas, fava beans and spring onion), cold poached salmon with asparagus, cucumber salad, and crème fraîche sauce as well as a variety of chilled soups.
One such soup is made with a mix of English, sugar snap and snow peas blended with a smokey onion broth and garnished with rosemary-infused cream, bacon bits and croutons. "All the depth of flavor comes [from the broth]," he shares, which gets its smokiness from being cooked with bacon.
Here's how to make it at home.
Chilled Pea Soup
Recipe courtesy of Harold Moore, Bistro Pierre Lapin, New YorkIngredients
3 onions, sliced
1/2 leek, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
1/4 pound bacon slices
6 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
1/2 whole leek
1/4 cup coriander seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, toasted
1 clove, toasted
1 gallon chicken stock
1 cup English peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup fava beans, peeled
1 cup packed sugar snap peas
1 cup packed snow peas
Optional garnishes: croutons, bacon bits and reduced rosemary cream
Method
1. Sweat the bacon, onions and leeks in a large pot very slowly over a low flame (without getting any color) until flavorful and translucent, about 20 minutes.
2. Tie the herbs into a bouquet with kitchen twine and the spices in a cheesecloth sachet; add the herbs and spices to the pot and sweat another 10 minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock and simmer until liquid is infused with bacon flavor, about 30 minutes. Remove bacon, bouquet and sachet. Cool the broth over ice to as cold as possible without freezing, at least 40˚F.
4. Blanch the various peas and fava beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and then immediately shock in an ice bath; drain the vegetables.
5. Blend equal parts vegetables and broth in small batches until very smooth; pass through a fine chinoise and cool over ice.
6. Serve soup in chilled bowls garnished with croutons, bacon bits and reduced rosemary cream, if desired.
Photo by Aaron Hutcherson.
