Sugar Snap Pea Soup with Parmesan Cream

This soup can also be served cold, with a few fresh chervil leaves rather than the Parmesan cream. And it makes a nice small appetizer if presented in espresso cups, in which case it will serve at least 12.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds sugar snap peas, strings removed

• 1/4 cup minced shallots

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth

• Salt

• Freshly grated nutmeg

• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

• Up to 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions

1. In a large pot of rapidly boiling, generously salted water, cook the sugar snap peas until they are quite tender but still a vibrant green, 6 to 7 minutes. Do not cook so long that they turn drab. As soon as the peas are done, drain them and place them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking and preserve their bright color.

2. While the peas are cooking, cook the shallots in 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. Place half of the peas in a blender and puree until very smooth. Add a tablespoon or two of chicken broth, if necessary, to keep the mixture flowing. Add the remaining peas and the cooked shallots and finish pureeing.

4. Pass the pea puree through a strainer into a bowl, pressing with the flat blade of a rubber spatula to work it all through. Rinse the spatula blade to remove any fiber and scrape the thick pea puree that sticks to the outside of the strainer into the bowl. Discard the fiber that is left behind inside the strainer.

5. Stir just enough chicken broth into the puree to make it a flowing liquid. It should have the consistency of fairly thin split pea soup. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, a few gratings of nutmeg and the lemon juice. Taste, and if the peas aren't bright and sweet, stir in enough sugar to correct. If necessary, add more salt and lemon juice as well. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 8 hours in advance - any longer, and the color will start to fade. Refrigerate in a tightly covered container.)

6. Pass the puree through the finest strainer you have into a saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat until the mixture is bubbling. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Taste and adjust the seasonings once more.

7. While the puree is warming, cook the cream and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the cheese melts and the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

8. When the puree is hot, divide it evenly among six soup plates. Shake each plate gently to distribute the puree in an even layer. Spoon some of the Parmesan cream into the center of the puree in a rough C pattern. Serve immediately.