Chilled English Pea Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

I based this recipe on the Chilled Garden Pea Soup recipe in the Eleven Madison Park Cookbook by Daniel Humm and Will Guidara.  Like almost all of the recipes in Eleven Madison Park, I had to simplify this one considerably before I could attempt to make it.  By omitting the "buttermilk snow" and by substituting a piece of crispy prosciutto for the more-involved "prosciutto crisp," I was able to bring this recipe down to earth while staying true to the vibrant flavors in the dish.  The sweet-fresh flavor of spring peas is complemented by the tartness of buttermilk and the sting of green onion.  Crispy prosciutto, served on the side, adds salt and a little whimsy to the dish.

The most involved part of this recipe is shelling the peas.  Two cups doesn't sound like a lot, but after you've been shelling peas for 30 minutes and your measuring cup still looks empty, you'll realize that it's actually a lot.  That being said, the fresh peas are what make this dish special, so don't even think about cheating and using frozen peas.  If you're lucky enough to find freshly-shelled peas, available at some farmers markets, they're a great alternative.

This recipe makes enough to serve 6 as a small first course or amuse bouche.  If you want to serve it as a middle course, simply double the amounts in the recipe.  The soup is best if made the day before serving, allowing the flavors to intensify overnight.  The crispy prosciutto can be prepared several hours ahead of time, but are best if eaten the day they are prepared.

Chilled English Pea Soup with Crispy Proscuitto

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1/3 cup chopped green onions, green parts only

2 cups shelled English peas

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons good olive oil

6 mint leaves

6 thin slices prosciutto

Freshly ground black pepper

Tabasco sauce

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Fill a large bowl with ice and water.  Add the green onions to the boiling water and cook for about 30 seconds. 
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the ice water.  Once cool, drain them on paper towels. 
3. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. 
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the ice water and drain with the green onions once cool.

5. Place the green onions and peas in a blender along with the buttermilk, olive oil, mint leaves, 1 tablespoon salt and 6 cups of water. 
6. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, 4 or 5 minutes. 
7. Pass soup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing against the sides gently with the back of a wooden spoon to strain.  Clean the strainer, and then strain again into a clean bowl.  If the soup isn't completely smooth and free of all solid particles, strain again for a third time.
8. Chill the soup over ice, stirring occasionally. 
9. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Crispy Proscuitto

10. The next day, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with Silpat.  Carefully lay the slices of prosciutto on top and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp and slightly dark. 
11. Remove using tongs and drain on paper towels.  Store the prosciutto in an airtight container until ready to serve.
12. Remove the soup from the refrigerator and season to taste with additional Kosher salt, black pepper and Tabasco.

13. To serve, fill 6 chilled demitasse or other small cups (such as a tall shot glass or espresso cup) with equal portions of the soup.  Place a piece of prosciutto to the side of each cup and serve immediately.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

This risotto is a giant bowl of Spring and freshness. It's beautiful to serve and to look at, with the bright green asparagus and green peas poking out of the cheesy, smooth risotto. And the done-up broth and lemon add a level of freshness that just really brings the whole dish together. It's also a recipe of not-wasting, as you use the leftover stems, rough leek greens, asparagus ends, and other leftover bits from prep to infuse the broth with even more freshness. It's not in the recipe because its not a mushroom risotto, but if you have any mushrooms stems to add from another project, you should do so, as it adds a nice umami flavor to the veggie broth (if you are doing this vegetarian). This recipe is pretty much a testament to the wonders of making your own broth, so be sure not to skip this step!

I tend to not put as much mint as the original Cooks Illustrated recipe calls for. I like the stems in the broth, but I'm just not a fan of the raw texture of mint in much anything. I am however, a fan of garlic in EVERYTHING, so I've upped the amount of garlic in the recipe. (So if you are like me and add two extra cloves of garlic to most recipes, fear not, I have added them already!) It can be a little difficult to judge when the rice has become "transparent on the sides" so I try to stick to the time estimate there. As far as when the liquid is gone, I judge that by if you drag a rubber spatula across the bottom of the dutch oven, does the cleared line remain clear or does the risotto fall back and cover it with liquid immediately? When it stays dry, it's time to add more liquid or move on in the recipe. The exception is this is the last time, where you want to keep it a LITTLE wetter than you have prior just to ensure that once its off-heat and butter, lemon juice, and cheese have been added, it does not get too stiff. If it does, you can loosen it with a little more stock at the end, but be careful not to overdo it. You don't want the initial taste of the dish to be stock rather than lemon.

Cooks Illustrated includes a note on substituting onion for leek (1 for the broth, 2 for the risotto). I've never tried it, and think it would be a shame not to include the leeks because leeks marry so well and add even more green to the recipe. On the other hand, if you have no leeks, this could be an option. Be sure to remember the lemon at the end. The citrus really brings out the freshness of the veggies.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients

2	tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, stems reserved
1-2	tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves, stems reserved
1/2	teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon
1	pound asparagus , tough ends snapped off and reserved, spears cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces
3	medium leeks , white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and sliced thin (about 4 cups), roughly chopped tough greens reserved
4	cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
3	cups water
5	tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2	cup frozen peas
4	medium garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
11/2	cups Arborio rice
1	cup dry white wine
1	cup grated Parmesan cheese (3/4 cup for recipe, 1/4 cup for serving)
1-2	tablespoons juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

1. For the Gremolata: Combine minced parsley, mint, and lemon zest in small bowl, reserving the rest of the lemon for juice and the parsley and mint stems for broth. Set aside.
2. For the Broth: Chop tough asparagus ends and leek greens into rough 1/2-inch pieces. Bring chopped vegetables, reserved parsley and mint stems, broth, and water to boil in large pot over high heat. 
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes. 
4. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium saucepan, pressing and squishing the solids against the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Trash the solids. 
5. Cover and set over low heat to keep broth warm. This can be done in advance and brought back to low heat prior to starting the risotto.
6. For the Risotto: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add asparagus spears, pinch of salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. 
7. Add peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside.
8. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leeks, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 
9. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. 
10. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
11. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
12. When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
13. Stir in about 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 3 or 4 times until rice is al dente. 
14. Off heat, stir in remaining tablespoon butter, Parmesan, and lemon juice. 
15. Fold in asparagus and peas. If necessary, add up to 1/4 cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto. 
16. Sprinkle each serving with gremolata and Parmesan and serve immediately.