Garden Pea Soup Recipe

Garden Pea Soup
with Pea Puree, Gammon "Brawn",
Bacon infused Panna Cotta and Crème Fraiche

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

I'd like to share a few of the recipes on the Hartford House Christmas tasting menu - a sneak preview of the 12 or so courses, you may say. One of the first dishes will be a garden-fresh pea soup with a bright green-pea puree, gammon "brawn", Bacon-infused panna cotta and a creamy crème fraiche. A delicious hint of Christmas! This dish may be a bit "over kill" for those of you at home but any of the options with the soup will work well.

Garden Pea Soup

Yields : 4 portions

Ingredients :

10 g Salted Butter

25 g Onion Chopped

25 g Leeks, chopped

1 small Garlic Clove

125 g Potato, peeled and chopped (chef's note: do not place in water)

625 ml Water or good vegetable stock

750 g Frozen Peas

Method :

1) Heat a pot and add the butter, caramelise the onions. Then add the leeks, garlic and potatoes – sauté

2) Add the water amount and bring to the boil allow simmering until the potatoes are cooked. When the potatoes are cooked, quickly add the peas and heat slightly. You do not want over cooking because the soup will go from bright green to a dull green. Liquidise and strain straight away. Heat on service

Green Pea Puree

Ingredients :

1 cup Green Peas-Fresh or frozen what ever is readily available

Method :

1) Blanch the peas and then liquidise while still hot, strain

Gammon and Tongue "Brawn"

Ingredients :

675 g Beef Tongue

1 kg Gammon

2/960 g Trotters

5 fresh Bay Leaves

15 ml Maldon Salt

5 l filtered water

Method :

1) Place all the over ingredients into a pot. You will find the water amount is too much initially but keep on topping up

2) Simmer for 4 hours

3) Separate meat from the liquid. Strain the liquid through a muslin cloth and set aside.  Shred the meat finely and then place both of these amounts into a pot and allow reducing until a thick porridge consistency is reached.  Line a mould with plastic and pour in, ensuring you have a good balance of meat to liquid

Bacon infused Panna Cotta

Ingredients :

400 g Back Bacon, rind removed and chopped

1 l Cream

6 Sheets Gelatine

Salt and Pepper

Extra

Add about 400 ml Cream or to make 1 litre

Method :

1) Heat a pan and sauté the bacon to release all the flavours and juices

2) Add the cream and infuse, liquidise and strain

3) Sponge the gelatine and add to the warm cream mixture. Strain and measure how much liquid is available. Top up with cream to make a litre

4) Pour into your desired tray, cover with plastic and place into the fridge to set

Serve the hot soup with the pea puree, "Brawn", panna cotta and a teaspoon of crème fraiche, fresh apple slices, crispy bacon chips, pea shoots and a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of black pepper.

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron
Head Chef
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713