Fresh Pea Purée

Ingredients

• 1 litre fresh peas
• 1 litre fresh peas
• 100 grams butter
• 100 grams leek greens
• 50 grams lettuce leaves, chiffonade (finely sliced)
• 1 pinch chervil
• 7–8 grams salt
• 15 grams sugar
• 1 décilitre water
• 1 litre blanc consommé (clear white stock)
• 125 grams butter
• small peas, very fine, cooked à l'anglaise
• chervil leaves (pluches de cerfeuil)

Instructions

1. Escoffier offers two methods for fresh pea purée:
2. METHOD 1 (English-style, for pale colour):
3. Briskly boil 1 litre of fresh peas à l'anglaise (in salted water). Drain thoroughly, pound to a fine paste, and pass through a fine sieve (étamine). Adjust the consistency with 1 litre of blanc consommé. This method yields a purée of perfect pale colour.
4. METHOD 2 (Braised, for finer flavour):
5. Braise 1 litre of fresh peas gently in a covered pot with 100 grams of butter, 100 grams of leek greens, 50 grams of lettuce leaves (chiffonade), a pinch of chervil, 7–8 grams of salt, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 décilitre of water. Pound to a fine paste and pass through a fine sieve. Adjust consistency with 1 litre of blanc consommé. This purée has less vivid colour than Method 1 but finer flavour.
6. FINISHING:
7. For either purée, finish with 125 grams of butter per litre, monter au beurre (worked in off heat until emulsified).
8. Note: These purées may also be made as veloutés (cream-based soups).
9. GARNISH:
10. Fine peas cooked à l'anglaise and chervil pluches (delicate leaves).