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 rely solely on the frozen or, worse still, the tinned ones
that sit in a fowl-smelling, cloudy liquid. I’m a big fan of fresh peas and
early spring is the best time to use them.
OK, I know it’s a fiddly, time
consuming job to shell them, but the difference is enormous and they are definitely
worth all the effort!
Fresh peas are high vitamin C and
are a good source of fibre and phosphorus making them good energy foods. They are wonderful braised with lettuce, stirred
into pasta carbonara or cous cous. They make perfect partners for fish or meat.
Cook them with almonds, artichokes, fennel, mushrooms or baby onions; flavour
them with mint, rosemary, sage, savoury or thyme.
My favourite risotto has to be pea
and smoked bacon. It has a wonderfully robust flavour that is hard to beat.
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 but I normally flavour mine with fresh
lemongrass. It adds a little lift and an amazing aroma to the finished soup.
FRESH PEA AND SMOKED BACON RISOTTO
Ingredients: Serves
4
300g risotto
rice (arborio, carnaroli, vialone nano)
1.5litres chicken
stock
250g frozen
peas
2 Medium
onions (finely chopped)
2 Garlic cloves (crushed)
1tspn Fresh thyme
100g smoked bacon
lardons
100g butter
75g freshly grated
Parmesan
1tbsp Mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp Olive oil
200g fresh peas
(cooked and shelled)
Seasoning
Bring the chicken
stock and frozen peas to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Place in a
liquidizer and blend to a puree. Pass through a fine sieve and season to taste.
Melt the butter in
a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the smoked bacon, chopped onion, crushed
garlic and fresh thyme. Cook gently and allow the onion to soften without
colouring. Add the rice and stir to coat well. Increase the heat and add a
large ladleful of pea stock. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the liquid has
been absorbed. Add more stock and continue to stir until all the stock has been
absorbed and the rice has softened. Add the fresh peas, mascarpone and season
to taste. Stir in the olive oil, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and you
risotto is ready to serve.
SPRING PEA & GORGONZOLA
CROSTINI WITH PARMA HAM
Ingredients serves
4
Ingredients Serves 4
8 slices of rustic bread,
(Baguette or ciabatta) toasted
125g frozen peas
125g Gorgonzola cheese
1tbsp cream cheese
2tbsp olive oil
8 thin slices of Parma ham
Sea Salt & freshly
ground black pepper
Place the peas, Gorgonzola
cheese, cream cheese and olive oil in a food processor and blend to combine.
Season with sea Salt & freshly ground black pepper.
Spread the bread slices with
the Gorgonzola mixture and top each slice with Parma ham. Serve immediately.
BAKED COD IN A SAFFRON CRUST
WITH A LIGHT GREEN PEA & LEMONGRASS SOUP
Ingredients: Serves
4
4 thick
fillets of cod, 200g each
100g pine
nuts
1 yellow
pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1 clove
garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
a good pinch of saffron
Salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 220ºC.
Combine the pine nuts,
yellow pepper, garlic, saffron and olive oil in a food processor to form a
thick paste. Place the cod fillets on a baking sheet and season with salt. Pat
the saffron mixture onto the cod fillets, pressing lightly to make it adhere.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes, until the fish is opaque all the
way through.
FRESH PEA AND LEMONGRASS SOUP
Ingredients:
3 small leeks (finely chopped)
1 onion(finely chopped)
50g butter
2 potatoes (peeled and diced)
1.5l chicken stock
2 lemongrass sticks (finely chopped)
1kl fresh peas, shelled
250ml milk
3 small leeks (finely chopped)
1 onion(finely chopped)
50g butter
2 potatoes (peeled and diced)
1.5l chicken stock
2 lemongrass sticks (finely chopped)
1kl fresh peas, shelled
250ml milk
Seasoning
Sauté the leeks, lemongrass and onion in the butter in a heavy saucepan 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 15 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the milk, season to taste and liquidise the soup in a food processor until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and serve.
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