Why write out a recipe with not much cooking involved one might ask? Well, even the simplest of dishes often needs an element that has taken a long time to cook.
In this recipe, it’s all about the stock. You definitely need to make a chicken stock. But large chicken stock will make so may things, it is totally worth bothering.
I always try to roast a chicken at some point during the week. It feeds a family of four for two days and having a good chicken stock in the fridge is a must.
THE STOCK
1 large heavy bottom pot
Chicken carcass
2 Carrots
2 celery sticks
3 peppercorns
1 onion skin on, split in half
Cover the carcass with water, bring to the boil, put the lid on and put in the ESSE for 4 hours at 140 degrees.
THE SOUP
1 small white onion or 2 banana shallots finely chopped
1 small clove garlic finely sliced
1lb fresh peas – ‘tis the season to pod some peas
1 baby gem lettuce washed and shredded
1 ladle chicken stock
3-4 sprigs of mint
Sauté the onion and garlic in good slug of Olive Oil until soft. Add a ladle full of chicken stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and add the fresh garden peas (or frozen petit pois as an alternative). Simmer for a few minutes. Add the lettuce just to wilt. Remove from the heat and add the sprigs of mint. Add another 8 ladles of chilled chicken stock, blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper and a tiny spritz of lemon. Not too much. One little squeeze just to keep the colour. If you have a Nutri Bullet you will get a very smooth soup. If it’s not very smooth, pass the soup through a sieve. Chill for 2 hours. Serve chilled.
I made another version of this with peas and new season’s asparagus ( 1 bunch asparagus and 500g peas) and it was just as delicious.