DON’T LOOK – just leap to taste the kale and bean soup at Lawrence, Lesley Chesterman says.
LAWRENCE’S KALE AND BORLOTTI BEAN PURÉE looks sludgy. But don’t let the appearance throw you off – it’s delicious
Afew weeks ago, I was lunching at Lawrence, one of my favourite restaurants in Mile End. Lawrence is a restaurant renowned for serving dishes that range from classic to unusual, with a gastro-pub backbeat and an emphasis on offal. Add to that bright flavours and appealing plate presentations, and you have the unique cuisine of chef Marc Cohen.
Nothing at Lawrence is fussy, but everything is tasty – no, make that delicious. I like the tongue dishes here, the tartares, the hamburger, the pork chop, the duck hearts, the cider-imbibed mussels – it’s all good. The desserts are simple and delectable and I especially love the soups, which is why I leaped at the chance to order the kale and borlotti bean soup that graced the oft-changing menu last month.
When the dish arrived, though, I looked down at it perplexed. The soup was brown and khaki, and floating on top were cooked kale leaves, reddish-grey beans and brown mushrooms. The stock was the colour of gravy. Quite frankly, the overall appearance would best be described as sludgy. Spoon in hand, I cannot deny I hesitated for a few minutes before digging in.
Lifting the hot soup to my lips, I looked down at this mix and braced myself for the worst. But the moment it hit my tongue, it was game on. What a soup! Strong in flavour, this hearty potage had a definite woodsy taste, thanks to a serious dose of cep mushrooms. A few handfuls of cheese were in there, too, providing both flavour and tex- ture. The forest-green kale leaves added a cabbage-like (or should I say “brassica-ous”) dimension, and the beans gave the soup a heartiness that could take it from appetizer to meal. Despite the fact that it looked like something served at an army canteen, the whole thing was just delicious! And in true Lawrence style, the only accompaniment was a thick slice of generously buttered brown bread. Nice.
When I requested the recipe from Ethan Wills, he agreed. But when I asked if we could take a picture of the soup, I heard silence at the other end of the line. “What do you think of an illustration of the soup?” he asked, knowing full well it looked about as sexy as a bowl of baked beans. I agreed, especially as the drawing was done by Lawrence’s dishwasher, Mitch Dixon.
The illustration doesn’t really resemble the soup, yet consider that a good thing. This soup may not be a looker, but it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Lawrence, 5201 St. Laurent Blvd. (at Fairmount Ave.), 514503-1070, lawrencerestaurant.com