I love peas, fresh, frozen and tinned. The best peas for this delicate, elegant take on mushy peas are frozen petits pois. The peas are boiled as usual then liquidized with a little of the cooking liquid, some fresh mint and a dollop of something creamy. The consistency you are after is slack hummus because it is served as a sauce to accompany fish (mainly), scallops (a la Rowley Leigh), prawns and chicken. Not forgetting fish fingers. It can go next to or under whatever it accompanies and works as veg and sauce in one. I’ve been known to eat it cold on toast with diced tomato (when it can be called pea guacamole).
Serves 4
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 10 min
250g frozen petits pois
about 12 mint leaves
2 tbsp mascarpone or other thick cream
Cook the peas as usual in just enough boiling salted water to cover by about 4cm. After 5 minutes add the mint and cook for a further couple of minutes. Strain, reserving all the cooking liquid. Liquidize with half the cooking liquid and mascarpone, continue until super smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, adding more cooking water if too thick. Serve hot, warm or cold.