• Pea and prosciutto soup

    Serves: 4 - 6
    Cooking Time: 3 hrs 15 mins

    Ingredients

    • 250g prosciutto (ask your butcher for an end piece of Parma ham)
    • 1 celery head, trimmed and coarsely chopped
    • 1 red onion, halved
    • 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
    • 50g butter
    • 1 red onion, finely chopped
    • 1 bunch fresh mint, a few leaves reserved to garnish
    • 2kg peas
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
    • Parmesan, grated, to serve
    • crusty bread, to serve

    Instructions

    1

    For the stock, place the prosciutto, celery, onion and carrots in a deep pot. Cover with water and simmer gently for 1½ hours. Remove the prosciutto, strain the stock and discard the vegetables. Set aside.

    2

    Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan and sauté the onion until light brown. Add the mint and peas, and stir for 1 minute.

    3

    Add enough stock to just cover the peas. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the peas are soft, about 20 minutes. Top up with the stock when needed.

    4

    Break the softest pieces off the prosciutto and blend briefly in a food processor with some of the stock until you have a coarse purée.

    5

    Remove half of the peas from the pot and pulse in a food processor with some of the stock. Return it to the pot, add the prosciutto purée and stir.

    6

    Season, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan. Garnish with the extra mint and serve with crusty bread.

    Notes

    To drink: Delaire Sauvignon Blanc 2008 has a hint of peas, celery and mint, with a lush texture that will help to balance this soup.

     

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