I was meeting friends for lunch, general chat, and wine.
I had a nice looking shrimp salad recipe I wanted to try on them, but…
It called for broccoli and, much as I like broccoli, it just somehow sounded wrong for a shrimp salad, so…
I got to thinking about peas; specifically, my favorite way to make them – Julia Child’s French peas – made super simple by using frozen tiny sweet peas, butter, salt, and a bit of sugar.
So. Julia says to “bruise” the peas by rubbing the butter, salt, and sugar into the peas until they’re well and truly coated and, that works, but…
If you get a bit lazy and simply stir the salt and sugar into the peas, then top ’em off with the butter, that works too!
Let’s make us some peas!
INGREDIENTS
•1 bag frozen peas
•2 tbsp unsalted butter
•1 tsp sugar
•1/2 tsp salt
Go ahead and bruise the peas in a sauce pan with the salt, sugar, and butter.
Or don’t.
Stir the salt and sugar into the peas in the pan, then add the butter and cold water just to cover the peas.
Cover the pan, bring to a boil, and simmer for six minutes.
If the water has cooked off, you’re golden. If it hasn’t, remove the cover and continue to cook until it has cooked off and you’re left with lovely, butter glazed peas.
These peas are practically perfect with a baked potato and marinated, then grilled lamb chops, but…
They also happen to work a treat when tossed with shrimp and scallions in a sherry mayonnaise.
Those details, to come…