The Wall Street Journal-20080112-WEEKEND JOURNAL- Food - Cooking -- Chefs at Home- A Slim Start to the Year- A D-C- chef uses his own weight-loss success to create a light soup
Return to: The_Wall_Street_Journal-20080112
WEEKEND JOURNAL; Food & Cooking -- Chefs at Home: A Slim Start to the Year; A D.C. chef uses his own weight-loss success to create a light soup
THE CHEF: JEFF TUNKS is executive chef and co-owner of several restaurants in Washington, D.C.: Ceiba, a Latin American-Caribbean restaurant; TenPenh, which serves Southeast Asian-inspired fare; DC Coast, an American seafood restaurant; and Arcadiana, which focuses on Louisiana cuisine.
KNOWN FOR: Bringing his waist size down from 54 inches to about 42 inches in five years -- a loss of more than 100 pounds -- through exercise, reducing the size of his meals, and always eating a healthy breakfast. Mr. Tunks also has switched from using a tablespoon to a demitasse spoon during obligatory line checks, where he tastes all food and sauces produced at the restaurants every day.
THE MEAL: Mr. Tunks always begins a new year eating black-eyed peas, a traditional good luck food eaten in the Southern U.S. The peas are a great source of fiber and are often cooked with a ham hock or hunk of salt pork. For his soup, Mr. Tunks nearly eliminates animal fat by crisping ribbons of Serrano ham in the oven to use as a garnish only. The accompanying cilantro chimichurri adds a fresh flavor for very few calories.
KITCHEN TIP: Invest in a high-quality blender to give purees a luxurious, velvety consistency without adding fat.
---
For wine pairings from our columnists plus Jeff Tunks's recipe for oven-roasted pineapple, go to WSJ.com/articles/ChefsAtHome.
---
Black-Eyed-Pea Soup
Yield: Serves 4
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours (plus soaking the peas overnight)
1 cup black-eyed peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
2 thin slices Serrano ham or prosciutto, julienned
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons cilantro chimichurri (see recipe below), for serving
-- The night before the soup is needed, sort through the peas to remove any small stones. Place the peas in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak them overnight. The next day, drain them and set aside.
-- To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, drained peas, bay leaf, thyme, and broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer (do not allow this to boil) and cook, partially covered, over medium-low heat until peas are tender, 60 to 90 minutes, depending upon how old the beans are.
-- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the julienned ham on a sheet pan with a rim and bake until it is crisp, about 8 minutes. (It will harden as it cools; be careful not to burn it.) Set aside to cool.
-- When the peas are tender, place 1/4 of the soup mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Fold this into the rest of the soup. Add more broth, as desired, to adjust the consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
-- To serve: Divide the soup among 4 bowls, top with the crisped ham pieces, and a dollop of chimichurri. Serve hot.
---
Cilantro Chimichurri
Yield: About 1 1/3 cups
Preparation time: 10 minutes
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coarse salt
-- In a blender or food processor, puree the cilantro, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin and salt until smooth.
-- Refrigerate extra chimichurri for up to 1 week to use as a marinade or sauce for shrimp, chicken, and any grilled or broiled meat.
