| 1 |
Slice the onions and chop the celery, shred the lettuce and cut the first bacon rasher into striplets. |
| 2 |
Bring the cold stock and frozen peas to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes until the peas are just tender. |
| 3 |
Melt the butter in a second pan and fry the onions and bacon until they are a pale golden colour. Add the celery, cover and sweat until soft. Stir in the flour and add the rosemary leaves. |
| 4 |
Bring the contents of the two pans together and add the shredded lettuce. Simmer for 10 minutes. |
| 5 |
Pass through a Mouli or blender-as a coarse-textured soup is preferable, the former is recommended. If you use a blender, take care to ensure that the soup is not over-pureed. |
| 6 |
Make the bacon rolls, which must be minuscule: de-rind each rasher and spread the meat out with the wetted flat of a knife. Lay the mint leaves to cover completely the surface of the rasher and roll up tightly. Secure with a cocktail stick and fry gently until you are sure the bacon is cooked inside. Remove the sticks and cut each roll into small pieces. This garnish is an integral part of the soup and ugly or clumsy preparation at this stage will spoil an otherwise delectable start to a meal. |
| 7 |
Re-heat the soup, check the seasoning and add croutons and bacon rolls to each bowl just before serving. |
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