Alfred Portales Spring Pea Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper.
• *Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with garlic croutons.

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender.
• Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
• Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.)
• Off the heat, add the salt, and pepper.
• *Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed.
• With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full.
• Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed.
• Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning.
• Serve hot with garlic croutons.

Steps:

• To make the custard, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse morels well under cold water. In a medium saucepan, bring morels, cream and truffle oil to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the mixture thickens, about 12 minutes.
• Purée the mixture in a blender. Whisk the purée into the yolks and stir in salt and white pepper.
• Place four lightly buttered two-ounce ramekins in a large baking dish. Pour the morel mixture into the ramekins. Add enough hot water to the baking dish to come 1/2 inch up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with foil and bake until the custards are set, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the water bath, run a paring knife around the edges of the ramekins and turn each custard upside down into the center of a soup bowl. If not serving immediately, cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• In a stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion and celery, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil and add peas. When boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes, or until the peas are very tender. Remove from heat and season with salt and white pepper.
• Drain the peas, reserving the stock. Purée the vegetables in a blender, adding stock slowly. Place a large bowl in an ice bath, add the soup and stir. Season with salt, white pepper and sugar, and either serve at once or refrigerate.
• To serve, have the soup at room temperature or slightly warm. Spoon enough soup around each custard to come up 3/4 of the height of the custard. Drizzle each serving with white truffle oil and garnish with a chervil sprig.

Steps:

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the scallions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the peas, stock and 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, then simmer over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the peas to soften further.
• Using a jar blender, carefully puree the soup until smooth (see Cook's Note). Pour the soup back into the pot, then add the sour cream and honey, and gently warm for 1 to 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Garnish the bottom of each serving bowl with the fresh pea slices and basil leaves. Ladle the soup on top and serve.

Steps:

• Place the couscous in a bowl. Bring the chicken broth to a boil with the butter. Pour over the couscous and allow to stand five minutes.
• In a small dish combine the salt, pepper, mustard, ginger, curry powder and garlic. Stir in the lemon juice. Beat in all but about a teaspoon of the oil.
• Fluff the softened couscous with a fork and stir in three tablespoons of the curry dressing along with the scallions.
• Bone the breasts of the squabs by cutting along the breastbone and cutting away the meat in a single piece down to the rib cage. Cut off the legs.
• Wipe a heavy skillet with the remaining oil. Cook the squab breasts and legs over medium-high heat, turning once, until browned but still rare to medium-rare, about eight minutes for the breasts and three to five minutes for the legs.
• Divide the couscous among four salad plates. Top with raisins. Place some of the greens alongside the couscous on each plate and drizzle a tablespoon or so of dressing over them. Slice the squab breasts on the diagonal and arrange the pieces of breast and leg on each of the plates. Moisten with remaining dressing and serve.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute potatoes in butter until lightly browned. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes. Add peas; cook until peas are tender, 5-8 minutes. Cool slightly., In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to the pan; heat through. Sprinkle with chives and, if desired, microgreens.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat until the butter is foaming. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring, until light golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the peas and celery, season the vegetables lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat to simmering and cook until the peas and other vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the rice and cook until tender, 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally. (For a firmer texture, cook the rice a few minutes less.)
• Remove the soup from the heat and check the seasonings, remembering the cheese will add a little saltiness. Stir in the grated cheese and serve immediately.