Curried Pea Soup with Frizzed Ginger

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2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, cut into small dice

1 celery stalk, cut into small dice

1 leek (white part only) well washed, quartered, and thinly sliced crosswise

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons curry powder 

2 quarts homemade vegetable stock, recipe follows, or low-sodium store-bought vegetable broth, hot

Herb sachet of 1 bay leaf and 2 thyme sprigs, tied in cheesecloth

3 cups fresh shelled peas (from 2 1/2 pounds peas in the pod) 

1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Frizzled Ginger, recipe follows

Vegetable Stock:

 1/2 cup olive oil

 2 large Spanish onions, quartered 

1/2 head celery, roughly chopped

 1 large leek, split, well washed, and cut into large pieces 

2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

 1 (15.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

 1 cup sliced button mushrooms

 2 pounds Idaho or russet potatoes, quartered

 5 flat-leaf parsley sprigs

 2 thyme sprigs 

2 garlic cloves, smashed

 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

 2 whole cloves

Frizzled Ginger:

 1 cup vegetable oil 

1 knob ginger (about 4 ounces)

 Fine sea salt