Recipe Peas à la Francais

[Morning Glory]

There are many versions of this classic French way of cooking peas. I was shown how to make it by an old French man in Provence, back in the early 80’s. He added bacon pieces to his version which works very well indeed. Pancetta would work to. This version is vegetarian (as indeed is the version cited in Larousse). After much experimenting over the years I settled on rosemary and parsley as the herbs. The addition of lemon zest isn’t authentic - but I think it adds a freshness. The peas are cooked for a long time. This is the traditional method. If you prefer you can add them at the end of the cooking process but I think they do take on more flavour from the longer cooking.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side dish)
200g frozen peas
25g butter (for dairy free use light vegetable oil)
1 baby Cos lettuce
12 baby onions or shallots
Bouquet garni of parsley and rosemary
200ml water
100ml white wine (or substitute water)
1/2 tsp sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
salt
white pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan.
2. Add the peeled onions or shallots and the baby Cos, cut into slim wedges.
3. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes. You don’t want them to brown.
4. Add the peas, water, wine, sugar and the bouquet garni.
5. Add salt to taste and a pinch of white pepper.
6. Bring the pan to the boil and then turn down to a low heat.
7. Cover and leave to cook for 35 - 40 mins or until the onions/shallots are tender.
8. Add a little more water if the mixture dries out. The final dish should have a little stock remaining.
9. Stir in the lemon zest and add a knob of butter before serving (optional).

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Very nice! I Can see what a bacon or something similar would add to the dish, but I also think that it would tend to take over the dish from the peas. This looks like a great way to highlight them as an elegant side (or even by itself).

 

[Morning Glory]

Very nice! I Can see what a bacon or something similar would add to the dish, but I also think that it would tend to take over the dish from the peas. This looks like a great way to highlight them as an elegant side (or even by itself).

Thanks - tried and tested as they say. The bacon if used judiciously doesn't take over completely. Have you looked at the Pea section in Niki Segnit's Flavour Thesaurus? I seem to remember you were going to order it (or am I getting muddled?).

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Thanks - tried and tested as they say. The bacon if used judiciously doesn't take over completely. Have you looked at the Pea section in Niki Segnit's Flavour Thesaurus? I seem to remember you were going to order it (or am I getting muddled?).

I just got it yesterday...I should have looked at peas, but I decided to start at the beginning (chocolate, which is of course late for the last challenge). I'm not sure if this is the same one, but I did see this earlier today:

 

[Morning Glory]

Yes I think it may be the same one - as it does start with chocolate. But the above diagram is not in that book. That is clearly from an American book given the references to bell pepper etc.

Personally I don't find her flavour wheels very useful. But her analysis of ingredients and tastes and marvellously witty prose is a delight. The book I meant is this one:

 

[lothian]

Looks lovely

 

[Morning Glory]

Looks lovely

Thank you. Very easy to do really.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Yes I think it may be the same one - as it does start with chocolate. But the above diagram is not in that book. That is clearly from an American book given the references to bell pepper etc.

Personally I don't find her flavour wheels very useful. But her analysis of ingredients and tastes and marvellously witty prose is a delight. The book I meant is this one:

Yes...that's the book. I have it alongside What Einstein Told His Cook and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking. Between these three books, I'll have no more excuses.

 

[Cinisajoy]

Yes I think it may be the same one - as it does start with chocolate. But the above diagram is not in that book. That is clearly from an American book given the references to bell pepper etc.

Personally I don't find her flavour wheels very useful. But her analysis of ingredients and tastes and marvellously witty prose is a delight. The book I meant is this one:
View attachment 8517

I just wanted to let you know that some (many) books are not the same for the US/UK. It appears that the book you posted is one of them. Oh and just for a little trivia: Mastering the Art of French Cooking has two different versions. One for the UK and one for the US.
If you think about it, that makes total sense. You have courgettes, we have zucchini. We have both corn starch and corn flour. You have cornflour.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I just wanted to let you know that some (many) books are not the same for the US/UK. It appears that the book you posted is one of them. Oh and just for a little trivia: Mastering the Art of French Cooking has two different versions. One for the UK and one for the US.
If you think about it, that makes total sense. You have courgettes, we have zucchini. We have both corn starch and corn flour. You have cornflour.

Interesting..they do spell the title differently, even though the cover otherwise looks the same;

I assume you're right that they have translations for the numerous differences in the names of things. Funny. but it never occurred to me that there'd be different editions published for what amount to dialect differences. To me, this is a bit like having two different editions for the same book sold in Michigan vs Texas (though, to be honest, for all I know they might actually do that!)

 

[Morning Glory]

Interesting..they do spell the title differently, even though the cover otherwise looks the same;
I assume you're right that they have translations for the numerous differences in the names of things. Funny. but it never occurred to me that there'd be different editions published for what amount to dialect differences. To me, this is a bit like having two different editions for the same book sold in Michigan vs Texas (though, to be honest, for all I know they might actually do that!)

Its a surprise to me too!

 

[Cinisajoy]

Interesting..they do spell the title differently, even though the cover otherwise looks the same;

I assume you're right that they have translations for the numerous differences in the names of things. Funny. but it never occurred to me that there'd be different editions published for what amount to dialect differences. To me, this is a bit like having two different editions for the same book sold in Michigan vs Texas (though, to be honest, for all I know they might actually do that!)

Not a cookbook, but one I do know of is Harry Potter and the something stone. Something being either Philosopher's or Sorcerer's.
It isn't just dialect but look at how many words change meanings when you cross the pond.

 

[Elawin]

Amazon seem to have two differently dated editions too, in both the American and the UK versions, as well as a Spanish edition.....