Potage Ambassadeur (split pea soup with lettuce and sorrel chiffonade)

Drain the soaked peas, wash them in cold water, cover with water and bring to a boil on high heat.

Cut the bacon into small lardons; peel the garlic, remove the germ and slice.

Cut the carrot small; quarter the onion, cut out the core and slice each quarter.

Melt half the butter in a large pot, add the vegetables and bacon, and sweat on medium-low about five minutes without browning.

Meanwhile skim the foam off the boiling peas; drain them and refresh under cold water to stop the cooking, then leave to drain in the colander.

Finely slice the green part of the leeks, add, and cook about five minutes on low, stirring now and then.

Add the blanched peas, cover with the stock, stir so everything is in the liquid, and bring to a boil on high heat.

Simmer about 30 minutes or until the peas are soft (here 45 minutes, with water added when it got too thick).

Chiffonade: stack the lettuce leaves biggest to smallest, roll like a cigar and slice into thin strips; slice the arugula without rolling.

Boil about two cups of water with salt and cook the rice 'creole style' in plenty of boiling water, about 14 to 16 minutes or per the package, until tender.

Drain the rice and refresh under running water; let it drain.

Melt the remaining butter in a pan, add the chiffonade and cook a couple of minutes until fully wilted; take off the heat.

When the peas are soft, season with salt and pepper, add the cream and process with a hand blender until very smooth.

Mix some of the rice into the chiffonade for the garnish.

Pass the soup through a sieve, pushing it through with a whisk; discard the solids.

Reheat, taste and correct the seasoning.

Garnish with the rice and chiffonade and chervil or parsley.