Petits Pois à la Française (French Peas)
Sweet green peas, bacon, and onions cooked together in plenty of butter. Petits Pois à la Française (French Peas) is proof that you don't need complicated ingredients to make a side dish taste incredible.
Equipment
- pot
- strainer or colander
- medium saucepan
- knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 200g frozen peas
- 6 lettuce leaves finely sliced
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter plus a tiny dab to finish
- 1 shallot
- 25g bacon cut into thin strips
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the frozen peas. Cook them just until the water starts bubbling again, which only takes a minute since the peas are already tender. Then drain the peas right away and rinse them under cold water. This stops them from cooking further, so they stay bright green and firm. Set them aside.
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and bacon and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often to render the bacon fat and soften the onions.
- Add the peas, lettuce, and sugar to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. The sugar helps balance out the salty bacon and highlights the sweetness of the peas.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until the peas look shiny and the lettuce is soft. Stir in a little extra butter right before serving for a richer finish.
- Transfer everything to a warm serving bowl, making sure to spoon all the delicious butter and bacon juices from the bottom of the pan right over the top. Serve it immediately while it is hot.