English Pea Soup with Poached Duck Egg
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 small cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
- 3 cups shelled English peas
- 4 cups sparkling water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 4 duck eggs
- 3 tablespoons minced chives
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt.
- Saute until the vegetables are soft and clear.
- Add the peas and water, along with another pinch of salt to set the color of the peas.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Decrease the heat to low and simmer just until the peas are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Puree the soup in batches in a blender, taking care not to fill the blender more than half full and covering the top with a kitchen towel to avoid splatters.
- When all the soup is pureed, strain through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve into a medium-size bowl.
- Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If not serving the soup immediately, place the bowl in an ice-water bath and chill until cold, then refrigerate.
- Fill a medium-size saucepan with water to a depth of at least 3 inches and add the vinegar.
- Place the pan over low heat and bring to just below a simmer.
- Crack 1 egg and drain off most of the white, then tip the yolk into a ramekin or teacup.
- To avoid sticking, dip the ramekin or cup just below the surface of the water until the whites set, then slip the egg out of the cup and into the water.
- Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs.
- Poach the eggs to medium, 3 to 4 minutes, taking out the eggs in the reverse order they were placed in the pan.
- Retrieve each with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.
- To serve, reheat the soup until hot.
- Divide the chives among 4 shallow bowls, sprinkling them on the bottom to provide a bed for the egg.
- Gently place a drained egg on top of the chives in each bowl.
- Carefully spoon or pour the soup around the egg.
- Gloss the egg with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and cracked pepper.
- Serve immediately.
unsalted butter, yellow onion, garlic, kosher salt, peas, sparkling water, heavy cream, white vinegar, eggs, chives, extravirgin olive oil
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/english-pea-soup-with-poached-duck-egg-383845 (may not work)