English Pea Soup With Poached Duck Egg Recipes

ENGLISH PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Boil 1 quart well-salted water in a large pot. Add peas; cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. (Go by taste rather than time.) Strain peas, saving blanching water, and place them in a bowl of ice water. Puree peas in batches with a little blanching water and pass through a fine sieve or food mill into a large saucepan. Blend, thin with a little hot water if necessary and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook bacon slices on a sheet pan until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove to paper towels. Keep oven on.
• Place bread cubes on the same pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to pick up bacon drippings. Bake until crispy, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
• With a knife, peel and segment tangerines over a bowl to catch the juices. Set aside.
• To serve: Reheat soup over medium heat. Lightly crumble bacon into 4 soup bowls. Add croutons, tangerine segments and a little juice. Add a dollop of creme fraiche and a mint sprig. Ladle in the soup and drizzle with remaining olive oil.

GARLIC SOUP WITH POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Cook garlic in oil in a deep 10-inch heavy skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer garlic to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add bread slices to skillet and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned, about 4 minutes. Divide toasts among 4 large soup bowls.
• Add stock, red pepper flakes, and garlic to skillet and bring to a simmer.
• Break 1 egg into a cup and slide egg into simmering stock. Repeat with remaining eggs. Poach eggs at a bare simmer until whites are firm but yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer eggs with slotted spoon to toasts and season with salt. Ladle soup into bowls and top with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

GRANDMA'S PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Cover peas with water and soak overnight. Drain, rinse and place in a Dutch oven. , Add ham bone, water and remaining soup ingredients except sausage and dumplings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours. , Remove ham bone and skim fat. Remove meat from bone; dice. Add ham and, if desired, sausage to pan. , For dumplings, place flour in a small bowl. Make a depression in the center of the flour; add egg and water and stir until smooth. , Place a colander with 3/16-in.-diameter holes over simmering soup; transfer dough to the colander and press through with a wooden spoon. Cook, uncovered, 10-15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Freeze Option: Prepare soup without dumplings and freeze in serving-size portions to enjoy for months to come.