POTAGE SAINT-GERMAIN

This is the recipe for the velvety pea soup that chef Nicolas Desinai makes at the Bistro Provence in Okotoks, Alberta.

Pea soup, he says, is one of the first things that young French cooks learn to make. But don’t add salt until the end of the cooking process, or the peas won’t soften properly. Many people make the mistake of using commercial chicken broth or a ham bone in pea soup – which both add too much salt, he says.

Serve the soup in small bowls to start a meal or in wide shallow soup plates, with baguette and brie (or butter) for a simple weekday meal.

2 tablespoons duck fat or olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 whole heads garlic, peeled
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups green split peas

2 cups tomato juice
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
8 cups homemade chicken stock (don’t use canned chicken stock as it is highly salted) or 8 cups water.

Garnish:

homemade croutons

shredded Swiss or Parmesan cheese

Place the chopped onion, garlic cloves, celery and carrots in a bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat the vegetables in oil, then spread on a roasting pan. Roast the vegetables in a 400F oven for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they are brown and caramelized. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a soup pot, heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables and peas and stir, then continue to cook together for 5 minutes. Add the tomato juice, thyme, bay leaf and stock (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, partially cover the pot and simmer until the peas are very tender (falling apart), stirring often (about 1.5 hours).

Puree the soup in a blender or food processor then strain through a sieve or Mouli. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat through and serve (each bowl should be garnished with a few homemade bread croutons and a little shredded Swiss cheese).

Serves 6.

CHICKPEA AND BROWN RICE BURGERS

Fry these “mini-burgers” in a non-stick pan and serve them on small buns, or stuffed inside pita bread pockets with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and yogurt.

8 large white or brown mushrooms, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

1 large onion, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 large can chickpeas (796 mL/28 oz.)

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

1/8 teaspoon each: freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin and salt

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

1 ¼ cup cooked brown rice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 medium egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup dry bread or cracker crumbs

extra olive oil for frying

Use the food processor to finely chop the mushrooms. In a large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions for 10 minutes until starting to brown. Add the mushrooms and minced garlic and continue to cook for 10 minutes longer until the mushrooms the mixture is dry.

Drain the chickpeas in a colander and rinse well under running water. Drain and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to break up the beans and place them in a bowl.

Add the onion/mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the chopped parsley, spices, brown rice and Worcestershire sauce. When the mixture has cooled somewhat, add the egg and breadcrumbs. Chill the mixture for 1 hour before frying.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.

Form the chickepea mixture into small 2-3-inch patties. When the oil is hot, add the patties to the pan and fry, about 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Serve the burgers in pita pockets with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and plain yogurt or raita. Makes 18 burgers. These freeze well.

©Cinda Chavich 2009

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