Fresh Pea Soup with Pea and Shallot Ravioli and Mint Oil

Ingredients

Pea Soup:

• 500g whole peas, podded, keep the shells
• 130g Roscoff onion
• 100g celery
• 40g unsalted butter
• 2 cloves (12g) smoked garlic
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• Maldon sea salt
• Course black pepper

Mint Oil:

• 4 cups mint leaves
• 1 ½ cup rapeseed oil

Pasta Dough:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 300g ‘OO’ flour
• 1 tsp olive oil

Pea Shallot Filling:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 banana shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 500g fresh peas, podded
• 75ml dry white wine
• 250ml water
• 2 tbsp ricotta cheese
• Maldon sea salt
• Course black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Method

Pea Soup:

1. Remove all the peas from their shells, keeping 100g of them aside to use as a garnish
2. Wash the skins of the peas under cold water
3. Finely chop the onions and celery, then sauté in a pot with the butter over a medium heat
4. Add the smoked garlic and allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes
5. Add the vegetable stock, half the pea shells and all the fresh peas
6. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Do not over boil at this stage otherwise it will turn brown.
7. Using a powerful blender, blend the soup until smooth
8. Season if required, and then pass it through a sieve to ensure its extra smooth

Mint Oil:

1. Combine the mint leaves and the oil together in a high speed blender
2. Transfer the mixture into a sauce pan and cook over a medium heat, whisking vigorously, until the oil reaches 100⁰C
3. Chill immediately over ice and then strain through a coffee filter
4. Transfer the oil into a squeezy bottle ready for use

Pasta Dough:

1. Using a Thermomix, mix all the ingredients together for 30 seconds at speed 6 until they cling together and form the dough. If the ingredients aren’t combining, add a little water 1tsbp at a time to help
2. Knead the dough for 1 ½ minutes ,using the dough setting on the Thermomix
3. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge, before rolling it out

Pea Shallot Filling:

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat
2. Add the finely chopped banana shallot and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it turns translucent. This should take about 4 minutes
3. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes
4. Add peas, wine, water, salt and pepper
5. Simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated and the peas are tender, but don’t exceed 10 minutes otherwise the peas will lose their colour
6. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly
7. Using the Thermomix, gently crush the peas. Ensure you maintain a crushed pea consistency and don’t make it too smooth

The Ravioli:

1. Using a pasta machine, roll out the pasta dough thinly
2. Add spoonful’s of the pea mix to the pasta
3. Cover the edges with egg and then top with another layer of pasta
4. Cut the ravioli into small squares, and cook the pasta in some boiling, salty water

To Serve

Place the ravioli on top of the pea soup, and then garnish with the mint oil and a selection of pea flowers and pea shoots.