Why not have a change from the normal frozen peas and make a dish of minted smashed peas instead? Ok, so they take a minute or two longer than it would take to defrost frozen peas in the microwave, but they have an amazing flavour that goes so well with chicken, fish or lamb. I think the extra few seconds are well worth it!
Peas are one of the few vegetables that I always buy frozen and keep in my freezer. You've all probably heard the saying 'life is too short to stuff a mushroom'. Well, my theory is 'life is too short to shell fresh peas'. Unless you are shelling them and eating them at the same time (which I do) purely because I love the taste of raw peas and not because I intend to cook them! But that's another story!
I can't actually think of any vegetable that I buy frozen, apart from peas. And even then, they have to be petit pois and not common or garden peas! (Petit pois are so much sweeter and definitely worth the few extra pennies).
Let's face it, it's so easy to open a packet of frozen peas, put them in a bowl in the microwave, zap them for a few minutes with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar and you have an instant side dish!
But sometimes a dish of peas on the table can be quite boring. This is where this minted smashed peas recipe comes in.
Simply pour a couple of cups of frozen peas into a saucepan and defrost them in a saucepan with a knob of butter, pour in a little double cream along with a spoonful of store-bought mint sauce and mash them up with a fork. Instant minted smashed peas! How easy is that? And if you want to be posh you can call them petit pois a la creme and impress the family with your French cooking ability!
This recipe elevates a simple bowl of petit pois to great heights. The butter and cream add an amazing smoothness to the taste which is cut through by the vinegary tang from mint sauce. Trust me on this one! These crushed minted peas are out-of-this-world delicious. I can't stop eating them!
Of course, this recipe is nothing like traditional British mushy peas. That's a completely different recipe entirely, made with dried marrowfat peas, but equally delicious in its own right.
So let's make some smashed minted peas - this won't take long at all.
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What you will need
Equipment
The basic piece of equipment is a saucepan for cooking the peas.
I tend to mash up the peas with a fork, but if you want to make them a little smoother you could you a potato masher or even an electric stick-blender. Just don't blend the peas too finely - we're not making pea puree here - just crushed minted peas.
Although thinking about it, a smooth minted pea puree sounds very tempting!
Ingredients
This recipe will serve 4 people.
***You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making minted smashed peas on the printable recipe card at the end of this post***
- Frozen peas - use petit pois if possible - they are so much sweeter than garden peas. I normally allow one cup for 2 people so bear this in mind if you want to adjust the quantity.
- Mint sauce - store-bought sauce is so much easier than making mint sauce yourself. I remember my granny standing for what seemed like ages pulverising fresh mint leaves with a large knife and then mixing them with vinegar and spices to make homemade mint sauce.
- Butter - this is the one optional ingredient. I like to defrost the peas with a knob of butter in a saucepan for the extra butteriness it gives to the taste. If you're watching your waistline you could defrost the peas in one or two tablespoons of water and drain before adding the cream.
- Cream - I like to use double cream but you could use single cream instead. Once again, if you are making a larger quantity you will need 2 tablespoons of cream per cup of peas.
- Salt - optional, but I find a pinch of salt improves the flavour.
What to do
Tip the frozen peas into a saucepan, add a knob of butter and heat gently until the peas have defrosted.
Add the cream and mint sauce and stir well to combine. Season with salt to taste. Allow the peas to come to a boil and then remove them from the heat.
Crush the peas with a fork (or for a smoother texture blend them with a stick-blender) and transfer them to a serving dish. Optionally garnish with a fresh mint leaf. Serve hot as a side dish.
Tips for perfect minted peas
- Don't let the peas cook for too long in the butter. You need to heat them gently until the butter is melted and the peas are just defrosted.
- When adding the cream do not add it all at once. The actual amount you will need will depend on how much cream the peas absorb when you smash them. It's better to start with less cream and add the remainder if you need it. You don't want the peas to be too runny.
- The same goes for the mint sauce. I've allowed a teaspoon based on the brand that I use and like. Start with half a teaspoon and add more to your own taste.
Storage
You can store leftover minted peas in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 days.
This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
FAQ
Petit pois and garden peas are both the same variety of pea. The difference is that petit pois are harvested slightly before maturity, resulting in a smaller pea with a sweeter taste.
Yes, you can make this dish with fresh peas. You should boil the peas in lightly salted water for a few minutes until they are cooked before using them in the recipe. Also, dont forget to take the time it will take you to pod the peas into consideration.
I have an aversion to canned peas and never use them so I'm afraid I can't answer that question.
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Related
Looking for other recipes for vegetable sides? Try these:
You can find these and many other similar recipes on my vegetable recipes page.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
📋The recipe
Minted smashed peas
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Stick blender optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups / 250 grams frozen peas petit pois are preferable
- ½ ounce / 15 grams unsalted butter
- 3 - 4 tablespoons double cream
- 1 teaspoon mint sauce adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Tip the frozen peas into a saucepan, add a knob of butter and heat gently until the peas have defrosted.2 cups / 250 grams frozen peas, ½ ounce / 15 grams unsalted butter
- Add the cream and mint sauce and stir well to combine. Season with salt to taste.3 - 4 tablespoons double cream, 1 teaspoon mint sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Allow the peas to come to a boil and then remove them from the heat.
- Smash the peas with a fork (or for a smoother texture blend them with a stick-blender) and transfer them to a serving dish. Optionally garnish with a fresh mint leaf. Serve hot as a side dish.
Notes
- Don't let the peas cook for too long in the butter. You need to heat them gently until the butter is melted and the peas are just defrosted.
- When adding the cream do not add it all at once. The actual amount you will need will depend on how much cream the peas absorb when you smash them. It's better to start with less cream and add the remainder if you need it. You don't want the peas to be too runny.
- The same goes for the mint sauce. I've allowed a teaspoon based on the brand that I use and like. Start with half a teaspoon and add more to your own taste.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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