Split Pea Soup with Fish & Mint Meringues

If you're a fan of this blog then you know that unusual combinations are sort of a running theme and this post is no different. The idea for fish meringues sprouted in my mind after a trip to the local Asian grocery store. It seemed too weird to be terrible. The fish meringues are like little pillows swimming atop a sea of green. The two work together to create a surprising perfect early spring dish. 

I don't have anything funny to say about this post. But I do have a warning: if you decide to eat more than two servings of this split pea soup in one day, prepare for some green poops. Just accept it and own it. Maybe you can eat a bunch of this soup on March 16th then everything about you can be festive for St. Patricks day!

Split Pea Soup

• 1 lbs. (16 oz) Split Peas
• Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 1/2 large Onion diced 
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 teaspoon Coriander
•  Salt & Pepper to taste
• Spinach

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a medium to large sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the coriander, salt and pepper. Continue sauteing until the onions are golden brown. 
2. Add the peas. Saute the peas with the onions for a few minutes. 
3. Add the stock, milk and water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally.
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
5. Add half of the spinach to a food processor. Pour the soup into the food processor. Add the rest of the spinach and blend together for a minute.  
6. Serve in a bowl with the meringues and extra virgin olive oil.

Fish & Mint Meringues

• 3 Egg Whites
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon Fish Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Mint Leaves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325°
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until they get really foamy and bubbly, I'm sure there's some French term for this.
3. Add the sugar and cream of tartar. Continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the fish sauce, mint, and cayenne. 
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out the meringue with a teaspoon and make dollops of meringue on the sheet. They don't have to be fancy, they're going to be crumbled up anyway.
5. Bake at 325° for 12 minutes. After the 12 minutes, turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for another 10 minutes.  Take the meringues out of the oven and let them cool until the outer shell is hard. 
6. Once the meringues are cooled crumble them up and serve on top of the split pea soup.

All these peautiful picture taken by Katy Weaver

S'Mores Meringue Pie

It's summer! Not if you live in New Zealand though, but to hell if it's not summer where you live, it's always s'mores season. Especially if those s'mores are in pie form. 

S'mores are an American classic- millions are consumed every summer, I'm guessing. If you're looking for a summer dessert that's not just fresh berries thrown on some pastry then why not add an extra half hour to your workout tonight and make yourself a s'mores meringue pie?

Sometimes, instead of focusing on the bitter things in life and in the kitchen, you have make something sweet, even if it takes a little more effort than you're use to. The effort in creating this pie really pays off. 

S'Mores Meringue Pie

Crust

• 10 Graham Crackers
• 8 Tablespoons Butter (1 stick) sliced into 1 Tablespoon squares
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Blend the graham crackers in a food processor for a minute or until they have the consistency of coarse sand, or coarse graham cracker crumbs.
2. Add sugar to graham crackers.
3. Add the butter one square at a time, while the food processor is on until there are no more chunks of butter and the crackers are well incorporated.
4. Use the mixture to make a 1/4 inch crust in a pie pan.
5. Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Let the crust cool for 15 minutes while you make the filling.

Chocolate Filling

• 6 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate
• 2 Tablespoons Cocoa
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1/2 cup Cream
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Flour
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water, melt the chocolate, cocoa, water, and cornstarch. 
2. In a medium saucepan heat the cream, milk, butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium high until a low simmer is reached. Add the melted chocolate. 
3. Whisk in the eggs and flour. Whisk until all flour clumps are demolished. Heat until the mixture starts bubbling. Take off heat and use a spatula to fill the pie crust with the chocolate filling.
4. Let cool for 2-3 hours in the fridge.

Meringue

• 4 Egg Whites
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a stand mixer whip the egg whites until they're foamy and make peaks. About 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the sugar gradually to the egg whites. Once all the sugar is incorporated add the vanilla and whip on high for 5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy and forms stiff peaks.
3. Use a spatula to top the pie with the meringue. 
4. Place in oven until the top is golden brown, about 6 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing into the pie.
6. Use a kitchen/propane torch to slightly burn the top. This of course is optional, but I recommend it, because it's fun, looks cool and is pretty unsafe for kids without parental supervision.

The meringue is fluffy and reminiscent of the marshmallows you roasted around the campfire when you were a kid. The chocolate filling oozes off the graham cracker crust and brings back memories of licking your fingers clean after devouring a s'more on a summer evening. The American Diabetes Council requires me to say this: please pace yourself when eating this pie. Enjoy!

All photos by Katy Weaver