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  | July 8, 2007 |
Taste By Matthew Amster-Burton
Aroma TherapyOver an alluring brew of mint tea and dry ice, a seductive soup is irresistible
A recent issue of Bon Appétit reported this shocking result from a reader survey: "Q: What's your (deep, dark) party secret? "A: Sometimes I like to show off." Now, I know you aren't one of these show-offs, but just in case you are, I have an idea for you. Last fall I was at a dinner party where the cook served a very autumnal parsnip soup with apple butter and parsnip chips. I was impressed with the contents of the bowl, but what was under the bowl made me laugh: It was a saucer of strong cinnamon tea and dry-ice chips. As the dry ice fizzed and bubbled, it wafted a woodsy aroma and no small amount of playful steam. Neither the tea nor the dry ice was there to be consumed, although I couldn't resist spooning a piece of dry ice into my water glass and grinning stupidly. The presentation had the air of avant-garde cuisine, but unlike, say, the chef in Chicago who prints sushi rolls on his inkjet, this cook had created something worth trying at home. More to the point, if I had to sum up the molecular gastronomy movement in one word, it would be "expensive," but dry ice is cheap and easy to work with — so long as you remember the stuff will burn you if you don't wear gloves. The party cooks turned out to be Becky Selengut, a local private chef and Seattle Central Community College culinary instructor, and Dana Cree, former pastry chef at Eva restaurant who now works at the Rainier Club. The soup recipe and dry ice undercurrent idea were Selengut's; Cree suggested the tea flavoring. "When I worked at the Herbfarm, we used dry ice in a witch's brew decoration for Halloween," said Selengut. "Seeing the boiling, bubbling cauldron left an impression." Selengut is an expert on seasonal Northwest produce. Her Web site, www.seasonalcornucopia.com, lets you look up what's in season at any given time. For example, I tried it in February and it told me to look for broccoli, burdock, chard, kale, leeks, potatoes and turnips. Upon seeing this list, I asked Selengut if she could create a spring-summer version of the soup. "Any opinion on whether the soup is vegetarian or not?" she asked. "I'm thinking pancetta, peas, mint and aged goat cheese." While salivating, I assured her that I've never said no to pancetta in anything, though converting the soup to a vegetarian version would be easy. Selengut and Cree came to my house one day, and the whole soup came together in a matter of minutes. While the chefs cooked, they bantered. "I don't think this needs any cream," said Selengut, tasting the soup and shooting a glance at Cree.
"What?" Cree shot back. "I don't add cream to everything!" Honestly, this soup is so good that it would probably impress your guests even without the fog-machine effect. But when the soup was served in its bubbling saucers, I was blown away all over again. Matthew Amster-Burton is a Seattle freelance writer. He can be reached at matthew.reviews@gmail.com. Barry Wong is a Seattle-based freelance photographer. He can be reached at studio@barrywongphoto.com. Recipe: Sweet Pea Soup with Pancetta and Mint Tea Vapor Serves 4 For the mint tea 2 cups water 2 generous tablespoons dried mint (or three peppermint teabags) In a small saucepan, heat the water and mint to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the water. Take off heat and reserve. (Remove teabags if using, but don't bother straining loose mint.) For the soup 2 ounces pancetta, cut into small dice 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped fine 4 slices artisan bread, cut into large cubes 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced thin 1 large shallot, sliced thin 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin ½ cup dry vermouth 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock 1 cup water 10 ounces organic frozen peas or 2 pounds fresh peas, shucked; reserve a few whole peas for garnish Balsamic vinegar, to taste (optional) ¼ cup firm goat or sheep cheese, shaved into thin strips with a vegetable peeler Dry ice 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy soup pot over medium heat, slowly fry the pancetta until crisp. Scoop the pancetta onto a paper towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in the pan. Transfer the pancetta to a small bowl and mix with the mint. Reserve. 2. Toss the bread cubes with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toast in the oven until lightly brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve. 3. Heat the rendered fat and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat and then add the leek, shallot and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper (remember that the pancetta is salty). Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until soft. Add the vermouth and boil until it is almost entirely evaporated. Add the stock and water and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the peas. Simmer for 3 minutes. 4. Working in batches, blend the soup in a blender until smooth. Strain through a medium-mesh strainer into a new saucepan, using a spatula to press some solids through the strainer. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding a bit of balsamic if you like. Keep warm, but do not cook further or the nice bright green color will dull. 5. To avoid burns from the ice, wear gloves! Chip off a few chunks of the dry ice (a screwdriver works well) for each serving of soup. Reheat the mint tea and add ½ cup to an outer bowl. Fill a smaller inner bowl with soup and place in the outer bowl. Repeat with remaining soup bowls. Garnish soup with a spoonful of the pancetta-mint mixture, some croutons, shavings of cheese and a few reserved peas. Add the dry ice bits to the outer bowl just before serving to create a smoky vapor that will help diffuse the mint-tea vapor. Serve immediately. — Adapted from Becky Selengut
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