I found this recipe in Robert Tuesley Anderson's book At the Table with Jane Austen. Recipes Inspired by the Book of Jane Austen. Literary Cookbooks (I used the italian edition), and decided to prepare and then share it with you! We, lovers of Jane Austen's books (crazy, crazy folks), may feel like to taste literally the era of our heros.
This soup could be Mr. Collins's soup according to the author, as the clergyman loves spending his time in his garden among his herbs and vegetables. At least he speaks less.
So the ingredients are:
2-3 spoonful of butter (add as needed) or 2 spoonful of olive oil
240 g leeks
280 g peas
8 dl vegetable broth
16 g fresh mint leaves
140 g mascarpone cheese
zest of one lemon
salt and black pepper
Preparation:
Mix together the lemon zest and the mascarpone cheese.
Very finely slice the leeks.
Heat some olive oil or butter (butter!) in a pan and fry the leeks until soft (but still not golden), then add the peas. Toss them together for some minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth, add salt and pepper and bring the liquid to boil. Cover it and boil hard for 10 minutes.
When the time is up, pour the half of the broth in a blender adding also the leaves of the fresh mint (handblender is fine, too). Mix the puree obtained with the broth.
In batches, add the mascarpone cheese mixed previously with the lemon zest to the broth, then stir until melted.
Dividing between bowls, then serve with a dollop of mascarpone cream, a mint leaf placed on the cream, and the remainig of the lemon zest scattered over.*
Great served with toast.
*based on Tuesley Anderson, Robert (2022), A tavola con Jane Austen. Il cibo nella sua vita e nei suoi romanzi. ('At Jane Austen's table. Recipes Inspired by the Books of Jane Austen'), Guido Tommasi Editore, Milano, 49.
