Provence Marinaside’s Chef de Cuisine Sheldon Maloff shared with us this delicious Chilled English Pea Soup with Spot Prawns recipe. The bright green colour and fresh flavours of the English peas and cucumbers make this soup a standout dish, but what sets it apart is the addition of spot prawns, which add a lovely texture and flavour to the soup. The soup is easy to prepare, and the buttermilk crème fraîche garnish provides a tangy finish that perfectly complements the sweetness of the soup. Whether you’re serving it as a light lunch or an elegant first course for a dinner party, this Chilled English Pea Soup with Spot Prawns is sure to impress your guests.
Chilled English Pea Soup with Spot Prawns
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
For the Soup:
- 25 ml olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 75 ml white wine
- 6 cups blanched fresh English peas, refreshed in ice water
- 10 long English cucumbers, seeded not peeled and chopped
- 6 cups frozen peas
- 1.5L milk
- 1.5 L vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 10 drops of hot sauce such as Tabasco
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
- Salt to taste
For the Spot Prawns:
- 3L water
- Juice from 1⁄2 fresh lemon, reserve the other half
- 1⁄2 cup white wine
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- fresh BC Spot Prawns, allow about 3 per serving
For the Buttermilk Crème Fraîche:
- 1 Tsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. diced shallots
- 250 ml crème fraîche (available at most grocery stores)
- 150 ml buttermilk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
For the Soup:
1. In a large soup pot, add in the 25 ml olive oil and sweat onions and garlic until soft and translucent
2. De-glaze the pan with white wine
3. Puree the blanched fresh peas with a bit of the milk and vegetable stock, set aside
4. In the same large soup pot with the garlic and onions, add in chopped cucumbers, frozen peas, milk, vegetable stock, Worcestershire and hot sauces to the onion and garlic mixture
5. Heat gently and then cool in an ice bath
6. Puree the soup mixture
7. Gently fold in the fresh pea puree when the soup is chilled
8. Check the seasoning and add to taste
For the Spot Prawns:
1. In a large pot bring the water to a boil
2. Add in the lemon juice, half lemon white wine, thyme and salt
3. Add in the spot prawns and cook (about 2-5 minutes, depending on the size of the prawns)
4. Remove the prawns from the water, cool and peel
5. Gently add to chilled soup
For the Buttermilk Crème Fraîche:
1. Over medium heat, sweat shallots in olive oil until soft and translucent.
2. Set aside and let cool.
3. Mix together crème fraiche and buttermilk
4. Stir in the cooled shallots
Assembly:
Ladle into bowls and drizzle with buttermilk crème fraîche
