Looks delicious. This will sound stupid, but what is the difference in the US between ‘English’ peas and sweet peas?. I’m in England and peas are peas. Sweet peas are the flowers and, as far as I know, the pods are mildly poisonous.
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Blistered Peas in the Pod with Lemon and Salt
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<p>I feel like it’s been a while since I shared a recipe that was less of a dinner, more of a snack or a side, and in this case, one that uses a vegetable in a slightly unexpected, very fun way. My kids love shelling peas as much as the next kids (which is, for mine, not at all, lol) but they do love to eat them. My five-year-old, especially, will eat them like candy, by the bowlful, if I’d let him. The only problem is that shelled peas are a bit of a precious commodity for the sheer volume you get from a mountain of pods and the sheer volume they eat, and this recipe uses them in the pod. But for a specific purpose: to blister them until they’re sweet and smoky. </p>
The first time I made these was with snap peas and that worked brilliantly. However, my son loves peas in the pod (his absolute favorite are snow peas, but he eats the fatter ones, too) and one day I just thought: why not. The pods will get slightly soft and floppy and sweet, and the peas inside will get tender and sweet and juicy. The only things it needs are a little salt and a little lemon and if you want to be extra, maybe a dip, but I find myself just popping them one after the next, no dip needed.
The blistering, you ask? It’s basically just getting a pan very hot and cooking them quickly, ideally without overcrowding, until they’re bright green and softened and have some dark char marks on them. You want them to almost shrivel just a little and for the peas to be tender inside. It’s truly just a few minutes of cooking.
The only caveat is that you do have to trim them. Sometimes you can break off the tops easily, but mostly I just use a kitchen scissors to snip off the stem-end string. It’s quick and worth it, and once you get started, you’ll be done with a pound in no time.
There are two photos of these in the cookbook, but it’s definitely time for a standalone recipe, so here it is.
Blistered Peas in the Pod with Lemon and Salt
Makes 4 servings
- 1 pound pea pods (sugar snap, snow, or garden/English peas), trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the pea pods in a single layer (cook in two batches if you don’t have room in a single layer) and cook without disturbing for 2 to 3 minutes, until the undersides are brightly green, lightly softened, and blistered in spots. Flip with tongs and cook the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes, until blistered.
Remove from heat, transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with sea salt and lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Do more with peas: