Cream of pea soup with croque monsieur

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan and sweat the onion, leek, celery, potato, garlic and bouquet garni until the onion is soft.

2. Stir in the chicken stock and cream and season to taste with salt.

3. Bring the soup to a simmer, add the peas and mint leaves and cook quickly for 5 minutes or just until the peas are tender. (Do not overcook or the peas and mint will lose their colour.)

4. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Return to a clean pan and keep warm.

5. For the croque monsieur: in a medium saucepan, bring the cream to the boil, add the cheese, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir over a medium heat until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.

6. Butter the bread and place half the slices butter side down on a baking tray or shallow dish. Pour over half the cheese sauce, top with the ham slices and then the remaining cheese sauce. Top with the remaining bread slices, butter side up.

7. Put the croque monsieur in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the filling, then cut out rounds with a round pastry cutter.

8. Pan-fry the croque monsieur rounds until golden brown. In the same pan, fry the quail eggs and place one on top of each croque monsieur.

9. To serve, put a croque monsieur into each soup bowl, decorate with pea shoots and pour over the warm soup.