Spring joy Peas veloutè, wild garlic, crowdie bon-bon

Celebrate the bright, fresh flavours of spring with this Peas and Crowdie Bon Bon Velouté Soup. Bursting with the goodness of wild garlic, spinach, and sweet, tender peas, this velouté is a vibrant embrace of the season’s best ingredients. The smooth, creamy base is lifted by delightful sesame-coated crowdie bon bons, adding a perfect balance of crunch and richness. Topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a handful of spring micro herbs, this dish is a joyful tribute to the new beginnings of spring.

Ingredients:

• 500ml veloutè sauce
• 200g fresh peas
• 100g wild garlic leaves
• 100g spinach leaves
• 100g crowdie cheese
• sesame seeds (black and white)
• extra virgin oil
• salt, pepper

Instructions:

For the veloutè

• Prepare the Fresh Peas: Begin by peeling fresh peas until you have a total of 200g. Set the peas aside.
• Blanch the Wild Garlic and Spinach: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the wild garlic and spinach leaves. Cook them for just a few seconds, enough to intensify their vibrant green colour by boosting their chlorophyll.
• Immediately transfer the greens into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process and preserve their bright colour.

• Drain the Greens: After the greens have cooled in the ice water, remove them and squeeze out as much water as possible. You want to ensure the greens are as dry as possible before moving to the next step.

• Combine with Velouté: Once your velouté is ready and has been removed from the stove, add the peas to the mixture. Allow the velouté to cool completely.
• Add the Greens: Once the velouté has chilled, carefully add the squeezed wild garlic and spinach leaves, mixing them in gently to preserve their texture and colour. This method ensures the greens maintain their vibrant colour and freshness, while the peas will infuse the velouté with sweetness.
• Regulate with salt and pepper.

For the bonbons

• Prepare the Crowdie BonBons: Take the crowdie cheese, remove the external crust and form small balls, each weighing about 10g. Gently roll each ball in sesame seeds to coat them evenly. Set aside.
• Warm the Soup: Carefully heat the velouté soup, ensuring that it doesn’t come to a boil. Boiling too vigorously may cause the vibrant green colour to turn brown, so keep the temperature low and stir gently to warm it.

To plate up

• Plate-Up the Soup: Pour a generous portion of the warm velouté soup into a serving bowl.
• Garnish: Place the sesame-coated crowdie bonbons on top of the soup. Drizzle a few drops of extra virgin olive oil over the soup for added richness. Finally, garnish with spring micro herbs for a fresh, aromatic finish.