June Snack Pick!

I wanted to share my discovery with you today as someone always on the lookout for new and exciting products. My snack pick for this month is Marks and Spencers Chocolate Coated Wasabi Peas!

I'm a huge wasabi pea fan and I'm also particularly excited by anything with a salty and sweet combo. The first thing I notice is how beautifully tempered the chocolate is, super shiny and tempting. The choice of dark chocolate means that a couple of peas is enough at a time - no binge eating here.

I'm not sure whether the wasabi element has been toned down or the chocolate counter acts the heat but it's missing a little bit of the usual wasabi kick... But the crunch from the pea mixed with the smooth dark chocolate more than makes up for it. It was a good balance of sweet and salty and I think this bag is going to last me for a couple of days! 

Pea Soup with Crispy Pancetta

I was listening to Jay Rayner's 'The Man Who Ate the World' on the way to my physio appointment this morning and during his time in Paris, he came across a dish in Guy Savoy where the peas in his pea salad had all been individually split. This got me obsessing with peas all day. I needed some peas in my life - stat.

We had some deliciously thin pancetta to use up also, so I thought the remedy to my cravings would be to make an indulgent pea soup and use pancetta as croutons. I did a lot of internet research to find the best pea soup recipe and decided to try Felicity Cloake's "Perfect Pea Soup" recipe for The Guardian. She uses bacon in the recipes but I took this out and replaced it with the pancetta topping. So here is my adapted version.

Pea Soup with Crispy Pancetta and Creme Fraiche

To Serve Two

Ingredients

15g butter
2 spring onions, chopped
4 rashers of pancetta
225g frozen peas
375ml of vegetable stock
Squeeze of lemon juice
Creme fraiche, to serve

Method

• Melt the butter in a pan and add your spring onions. Allow them to soften in the foamy butter. 
• Add the peas and let them defrost a bit. 
• Add your hot stock and allow to simmer for ten minutes.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice and stir.
• Using a stick blender, smooth the soup and allow to rest on a low heat whilst you make the croutons.
• Bring a small frying pan to a high temperature and add the pancetta. They will crisp in under a minute so make sure they don't burn. 
• Dish the soup into bowls and add a small quenelle of creme fraiche to the centre. 
• Lay your crispy pancetta on top!