A challenge to the Mead/Food gurus . . .

[Dan McFeeley]

Wolf Puck's weekly column had this recipe for pea soup:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken or vegetable broth
1 pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
7 cups shelled fresh English peas, or, thawed frozen small peas, about 2 pounds, 1/3 cup reserved for garnish.

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a non-reactive sauce pan over medium heat; add the onion. Decrease the heat to low. Cook stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. (Don't let the onion brown.)
2. Stir in the broth, cream, honey, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high; add all but the reserved 1/3 cup peas. Cook until the peas are just tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Puree the soup until smooth with an immersion blender or puree in a blender, working in batches. Pour the puree through a fine strainer into a large bowl; stir in the lemon juice. Adjust the seasonings; garnish with the reserved peas.

Ok, here's the challenge.

What kind of mead would pair with this recipe? If possible, can you say what it is about the mead, style of mead, etc., that makes it work with Puck's recipe?

 

[Oskaar]

I've actually drank wine with the Puckster he's hilarious, and his wife is quite an interesting gal herself.

Hmmm, in my opinion you can go in two directions here.

1. A Gewurztraminer pyment with a low residual sugar and a yeast that promotes the spiciness of the grape while presenting the honey in a smooth balance. I'd say DV10, W15 or a blend of either of the first two plus R2. Keep the RS between 1.007 - 1.015 and it should be stellar. I'd use a combination of Orange Blossom and Sage honey here, or even Mesquite. The spiciness and citrus notes from the pyment will pair well with the sweet, fragrant fresh English peas, and provide a nice counter balance to the cream and pepper in the soup. It should also bring out the nice vegetal character and floral overtones of the peas and sweated onions.

2. A nice dry unoaked Metheglin with Grains of Paradise, pink pepper corn and some dried sweet paprika. I'd use some clover, orange blossom and alfalfa honey to bring out the sweet flowery notes in the peas, and the spices should be balanced enough to pick up on the dynamic of the white pepper, sweated onions and cream in the soup. I'm saying K1, QA23 or BA11 as a yeast should do the trick.

Come on Ken, you're bigger into this than I am!

Oskaar

 

[Miriam]

Jeepers, Oskaar...you've outclassed everyone I think.

Miriam

 

[byathread]

Wowzers!

 

[insanity]

I would think the onions is the key. Although it calls for white onions - can only imagine the posibilities with red, yellow, vidalia, maui sweets, or rio Sweets, etc. I really like sweet onions and would substitute them for those white ones in a second. Perhaps add some mushrooms as well. But I'm not Wolfgang Puck. Certainly the butter choice (sweet versus cream) will have a small influence as well.

As far as meads are concerned, I'm pretty limited in my selections but can only imagine the potential of the dish.

The recipe seems to be unique for my limited white wine tastes. From the read, Oskars option 2 looks awesome. Since I am a lowly farmer who occasionally visits the local soup kitchen in comparison, why not a dry multi berry melomel such as Ken Shramm's "Mambo in the Mouth".

On second thought, Puck's recipe looks like a good base for steamer clams. Any mead in the style of a Sauvignon Blanc would be fine? Pretty dry and neutral would be the key! No heavy florals, and how about a hint of oregeno.

PS: Where's the garlic? I guess one dish wthout it and a slab of bacon would be ok. Just seems like it needs a little more. Maybe a little eggplant? or those little squashes?