This year I’ve been growing fresh peas in my garden for the first time. I now have four beautiful, long rows supported with canes and string and they are finally ready to eat. I initially grew them for their white flowers, their tender shoots and curling tendrils for salads and to decorate my plates at the restaurant, but I have to say that popping fresh peas straight from the pod into your mouth remains one of life’s great pleasures.
It’s probably true to say that the taste and texture of fresh peas has almost been forgotten in these times of convenience and frozen foods. Most people can’t even remember the last time they tasted sweet, fresh peas straight from the pod and most of us rely solely on the frozen or, worse still, the tinned ones that sit in a fowl-smelling, awful tasting, cloudy liquid. I’m a big fan of fresh peas and early spring is the best time to enjoy them. OK, I know it’s a fiddly, time consuming job to shell and peel the little buggers, but the difference is enormous and they are definitely worth all the extra effort. They are high vitamin C and are a good source of fibre and phosphorus making them really good energy foods.
When you are buying peas in the pod, bear in mind that the sugar that makes them so exquisite begins to turn into starch as soon as they’re picked. So only choose pods that look plump, and eat them the day you buy them. In an ideal world, peas would barely leave the garden – they should be picked there and eaten there, with as little time away from the kitchen as possible.
Fresh peas are wonderful braised with lettuce, stirred into pasta carbonara or mixed with cous cous or quinoa. They make perfect partners for both fish and meat and you can cook them with almonds, artichokes, fennel, mushrooms or baby onions and flavour them with anything from mint, rosemary, and sage to savoury or thyme. I love fresh peas in a risotto with smoked bacon, Serrano ham or chorizo. Peas also make for a great soup and it can also be served hot or cold. You can flavour the soup with mint or rosemary and fresh lemongrass that adds a little lift and an amazing aroma to the finished soup. This week I’m cooking a simple recipe of peas with fresh scallops…absolutely delicious and a marriage made in heaven!
PAN-FRIED SCALLOPS WITH FRESH PEA, LIME & MINT SOUP
I love scallops with peas and they all combine beautifully with lime & fresh mint. You could use frozen peas for this recipe
Ingredients: serves 4
12 large scallops
1 bunch of spring onions (finely chopped)
50g butter
2 small potatoes (peeled and diced)
1litre vegetable stock
2 lemongrass sticks (finely chopped)
900g fresh peas, shelled
150ml crème fraiche
Juice of 2 limes
4 tbsp chopped mint
Seasoning
Cook the spring onions in the butter in a heavy saucepan over a gentle heat until tender. Do not allow to colour. Add the diced potatoes and stir to mix. Pour in the stock; bring to the boil and cook, covered, for about 8 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the crème fraiche, lime juice and mint leaves. Season to taste and liquidise the soup in a food processor until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve.
Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and fry the scallops until golden brown. Turn over and finish cooking on the other side. Season the scallops and divide them between four warm soup bowls. Garnish with some fresh pea shoots and serve with the fresh pea, lime & mint soup.
By Marc Fosh – Michelin Star Chef
