Justin Burdett's Chilled English Pea Soup with Garlic Cream & Pickled Ramps

English Pea Soup

• 4 quarts water, divided
• 1/2 cup kosher salt, divided
• 1 quart shelled fresh English peas
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 basil leaves
• 3 to 4 mint leaves
• 2 to 3 sprigs of dill
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Black pepper, freshly ground to taste

1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with about a ¼ cup of kosher salt. Add the peas and allow the water to come back to a boil for a full minute.
2. Prepare 2 quarts of iced water with ¼ cup of kosher salt in it and strain your peas out of the boiling water immediately into your salted iced water. Allow peas to chill all the way down.
3. Take your chilled peas and ½ of the salted iced water and place them in a large container. Add the buttermilk, spring onion, herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. Allow mixture to sit and marinate for 20 minutes.
4. Blend mixture until smooth and pass through a basket strainer or sieve.
5. To assemble the dish, ladle the chilled soup into individual cups or serving bowls. Top with a tablespoon of garlic cream (recipe to follow) and garnish with a pickled ramp (recipe to follow). Serve immediately.

Garlic Cream and Pickled Ramps

• 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Salt, to taste
• 1 quart Mason jar, filled with ramp bulbs
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

1. Make Garlic Cream: In a small sauce pot, cook garlic and butter over low heat until the garlic is golden brown. Add the cream and salt to taste and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes. Place mixture in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Make Pickled Ramps: Toss the ramp bulbs with the seeds and spices, and place into the Mason jar.
3. In a medium pot, bring the vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil. Once boiling, pour the liquid immediately (it’s important that it’s still hot) into the Mason jar filled with ramp bulbs and spices. Tap the jar to allow air bubbles to escape, then seal it and cap it according to the directions on the Mason jar. (If not sealing by the pickling directions on the jar, be sure to refrigerate.)
4. Allow it to sit for at least 24 hours before using so the vinegar has time to fully penetrate and marinate the ramps.