20 FLOURISH • FALL/WINTER 2014
CHiLLED ASPARAGUS
AND ENGLiSH PEA SOUP
(Serves 4).
As chef Valette puts it, "This is a great, late-summer soup that
is not only refreshing and screaming of the season, but is also
elegant to serve at a dinner party. The beauty of it is that you
can make it ahead of time and finish it at the last minute, which
gives you more time to spend enjoying wine with friends."
Ingredients
2 bunches fresh asparagus, woody part of stems removed, the
rest chopped into small pieces
2 lbs fresh peas, removed from the shell
1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
½ bunch fresh thyme leaves (discard the stems)
1/3 bottle white wine, preferably your favorite sauvignon
blanc
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced into small pieces
½ pound fresh, cooked Dungeness crab, removed from the
shell
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, washed and chopped fine
2 ounces crème fraiche
4 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
Olive oil for cooking
Pimento d'Espelette powder, as needed
Kosher salt
Make the soup
Slowly cook the onions in a little olive oil. Once the onions
are translucent, add the chopped asparagus and thyme; cook
until vegetables are tender, then add the white wine. Simmer
until the wine is evaporated, then add the vegetable stock and
potato. Simmer for another 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are
tender, add the shucked peas, cook them for 3 minutes, then
puree the entire mixture in a blender. Add in 3 ounces of extra-
virgin olive oil and adjust seasoning as you blend; strain the
soup through a chinois (conical strainer) and chill it.
Make the Dungeness Crab 'Salad'
Make sure all the shells are removed from your fresh crab. In
a medium bowl combine the cleaned crab meat with the lemon
juice, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the extra-virgin olive oil and
the parsley; adjust seasoning and reserve, chilled.
Finishing the soup
Once the soup has been made and chilled, it is time to as-
semble. Start with chilled soup bowls and place the crab salad
in the center of the bowl. Place a large scoop of the crème
fraiche on top of the crab. Then slowly pour the soup around
the crème fraiche/crab and sprinkle with a little of the espelette
powder for garnish.
Dustin Valette at Dry Creek Kitchen.
