Everybody has that one celebrity chef they completely trust for recipes. For some, it’s home-cooking aficionados like Ina Garten or Ree Drummond. For others, it’s more trained professionals like Rachael Ray or Gordon Ramsay. For me, however, it’s not a chef at all—but celebrity home cook Stanley Tucci.
When Tucci posts a recipe on social media, I’m usually one of the first people to say, “I need to try that.” Whether it’s his favorite comfort food or his desert-island meal, I’ve never once been taken aback by the recipes he makes or combinations he creates. In fact, I’m usually pretty excited to learn his trick for leftover pasta and how he makes a creamy sauce without using cream.
However, during a recent interview with Tucci about his long-standing S.Pellegrino partnership, I was truly shocked to learn his go-to comfort food combination.
Credit: Getty Images/Allrecipes
Stanley Tucci’s Comfort Food Combination
“Sometimes there’s nothing better than a great grilled cheese,” Tucci said in an exclusive interview with Allrecipes.
Yes, I completely agree—but then I asked if he serves it with a classic tomato soup or on its own. The answer? Neither.
“Yeah, [I serve it] with soup—with pea soup,” he said. “[It’s] one of the best things in the world.”
I’m not normally a person who yucks somebody’s yum—especially not before I try it. But come on, mushy, bland, green pea soup reminds me of something my grandma would have eaten.
But, don’t worry, I asked him how he makes his pea soup anyway—because maybe it would be better than what I was picturing, and it’s my job to let you know that. Plus, I really wanted to know how Tucci makes a “great” grilled cheese.
“Very carefully,” the actor said with a laugh. “Make sure you have a weight—oil, butter, then whatever cheese you want to put in it that’s melty. That’s it—you just keep flipping it until it gets nice and golden brown. Come on, that’s, like, the greatest thing in the world.”
After making it, let me tell you, it really is. The weight is key to getting a crispy, golden-brown sandwich with extra-gooey cheese in the middle.
As for the pea soup, Tucci says there’s “practically nothing” in it.
“It’s chicken broth—you can do it with vegetable broth or even ham broth—onions, a little bit of garlic, peas, and baked ham or boiled ham chunks. You put those in at the end, and then you make some croutons, and then you have the grilled cheese.”
Unsurprisingly, the Tucc didn’t give us any measurements for the soup, so I’ve adapted this Split Pea Soup recipe for Tucci’s preferences below. And, I will say, I misjudged the pea soup-grilled cheese combo—I’m not sure it will replace tomato soup, but it is definitely worth a try.
How To Make Stanley Tucci’s Pea Soup & Grilled Cheese
Credit: Bailey Fink
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Pea Soup:
2 1/4 cups dried split peas
1 (1-pound) package diced or cubed ham
croutons, for garnish (Optional)
Grilled Cheese:
butter, slightly softened
6 slices Cheddar or American cheese
Directions
Pea Soup:
Place dried peas in a large stockpot; cover with cold water by several inches. Soak, 8 hours to overnight. Drain, rinse, and return peas to the pot.
Add chicken broth, onions, and garlic to the pot; cover, bring to a boil, and simmer until peas have thickened, about 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add ham; cook, uncovered, until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish servings with croutons.
Grilled Cheese:
Preheat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat.
Generously butter one side of 1 bread slice. Place bread slice, buttered-side down, in the hot skillet; top bread slice with 1 cheese slice. Generously butter one side of a second bread slice; place, buttered-side up, on top of cheese slice.
Press sandwich down using a weight, such as a skillet. Toast sandwich until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining bread, butter, and cheese in batches.
Read the original article on Allrecipes
Dining and Cooking