Petit Pois à la Française in 4 steps

Peas: the instant snap of flavour from each bite speaks wonderfully of early summer sun. Meld them with the mustier, leafy lettuce, hints of smoke from bacon and the salty chicken richness of a home-made stock and you have a dish that cries sun stippled, daisy strewn lawns, of sun bursts in the mouth (well perhaps not that ‘nuclear’). I am making Petit Pois à la Française, though not in the traditional long-slow-braise-in-a-copper-pot-from-Brittany method. Herbaceous hints of tarragon and mint give greater depth of flavour and knobs of butter offers richness with its glossy coat. It is summer on a plate.

Admittedly, a genuine Petit Pois à la Française doesn’t have bacon in it, that would be Petit Pois à la Bonne Femme, nor does it use frozen peas (the pea season starts late May and early June), nor large spring onions sliced then sweated rather than caramelised whole baby onions, nor does it substitute chervil for tarragon and mint, and God forbid anyone would add a spoonful or two of milk in a Cretonné manner to temper the meat’s salt (though neither will I, this time), non!

While the changes and additions may take us away from a true Petit Pois à la Française, it is still a genuine braise of peas and lettuce with a rich butteriness and slight tarragon herb note, it is quickly made, tasty and worth the culinary detour. However, purists look away.

Petit Pois à la Française in 4 steps

2 bunches continental spring onions

150- 200g Lardons, pancetta cubes or finely sliced smoked bacon

1 clove Garlic

1 glass White wine or vermouth

4 Gem heart lettuce

500ml chicken stock (home made if possible)

750g Frozen Petit Pois

Butter

Olive oil

1 tspn Tarragon chopped

2-3 mint leaves fine sliced

A handful of parsley finely chopped

Step1:

Slice the whites of the spring onions (cut them in half length ways first then slice in half moons). Cut up the bacon if you are not using lardons or pancetta cubes, and crush the garlic with some salt and the back of a knife.

 

Step 2:

In a wide sauté pan pour in some olive oil and a good knob of butter and slowly sweat the spring onions until they are translucent (about 8 minutes). Once done, throw in the lardons and cook until the rawness has gone. (If you want crispier bacon fry it first in a dry pan, then lower the heat, remove the meat to a plate reserving the fat and add butter, fry the onion as above, then return for the next stage. However, I want the texture of this dish to concentrate on the greens).  Next, throw in crushed garlic, whip up the heat and pour in the wine. Let it bubble until it has reduced to nothing.

 

Step 3:

Cut the lettuce length ways into quarters, trimming the root end carefully to keep it whole. Place the lettuce quarters around the pan on top of the bacon and onions and then pour in the stock so that the leaves are only sitting in the liquid rather than being fully immersed. Bring to a simmer at a low to medium heat and braise for 10-15 minutes so that the lettuce is cooked but still remains firm when tested with a knife. When you are ready, pour the frozen peas over the lettuce and increase the heat again. Cook for 4-5 minutes.

Step 4:

Strain the stock to another pan and keep the vegetables warm. Turn up the heat to reduce the stock to a syrupy consistency. Chop the tarragon and mint and throw them into the stock with a knob or two of butter, swirl around until the butter is no more than a streak, then pour over the vegetables (or add the vegetables to the stock pan and toss).  Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

This recipe marries well with breast fillets of game such as pigeon with its earthy rich flesh, although given the Season hasn’t started I served mine with the breast fillet of a lemon roast chicken.