Angela Day
Frozen peas are as good as fresh. Keep a bag handy to whip up these tasty dishes.
On the menu:
Pea and mint soup
Pea pancakes
Creamy bacon and pea pasta
Green pea guacamole
Pea and potato samoosas
PEA AND MINT SOUP
Serves 6-8
15ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 large potato, peeled, diced
1.5 litres of chicken stock
500g frozen peas, thawed
125ml chopped mint leaves
250g tub of crème fraiche
crispy fried pancetta, for serving
chopped chives, for serving
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic and potato.
Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the stock, peas and mint.
Bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Remove the soup from the heat and process until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.
Return to a low heat and stir in the tub of crème fraiche.
Ladle into bowls and serve with crispy pancetta and chopped chives.
PEA PANCAKES
Makes 12-14
500g frozen petit pois
50g butter
60ml flour
5ml baking powder
2 eggs, separated
salt and pepper
100g feta, crumbled
olive oil, for frying
crispy fried bacon and maple syrup, for serving
Cook the peas in boiling salted water for a few minutes, drain in a colander and plunge them in ice water.
Drain well and place in a food processor.
Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook until light brown. Remove from the heat and add to the peas in the processor together with the flour, baking powder, egg yolks, salt and pepper to make a fairly smooth purée.
Transfer to a bowl and crumble in the feta.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the pea mixture.
Heat 15ml oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook spoonfuls of the batter, a few at a time.
Cook until golden on each side. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve warm with crispy bacon and maple syrup.
CREAMY BACON AND PEA PASTA
Serves 6
60ml olive oil
6 rashers of bacon,thinly sliced
250g portabellini mushrooms, quartered
300ml cream
salt and pepper
250ml frozen peas
250g fettuccine pasta
125ml chopped fresh basil
125ml grated Parmesan
Heat half the oil in a pan and cook the bacon until golden. Remove and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil and fry the mushrooms for 3 minutes.
Return the bacon.
Add the cream and season to taste.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add in the peas and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in salted, boiling water untilal dente.
Drain and add to the bacon sauce with the basil and Parmesan. Serve immediately.
PEA AND POTATO SAMOOSAS
Makes 24
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
45ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
10ml chopped garlic
5ml mustard seeds
5ml cumin seeds
5ml coriander seeds
10-15ml curry powder
250ml water
salt and pepper
125ml frozen peas
125ml chopped coriander
samoosa pastry
flour and water mixed to make glue
Put the potato in a pot and cover with cold water.
Place on a medium high heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.
Drain.
In a pan, heat the oil, and fry the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the spices and fry for a few seconds.
Add the curry powder and fry.
Add the potatoesand water, and simmer gently until the potatoes are very soft but not disintegrated.
Season well.
Stir in the peas and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the coriander and allow the mixture to cool.
Place a strip of samoosa pastry on your work surface.
Place a spoonful of filling at the base.
Fold over to forma triangle. Continue folding, keeping the triangle shape.
Place a bit of the flour and water mixture at the end of the strip and fold over to seal the edges. Repeat until all the filling has been used.
Heat oil in a large pot or deep fryer to 180°C and fry the samoosasa few at a time until golden brown and crisp.
Drain on paper towel and serve warm.
GREEN PEA GUACOMOLE
Serves 8-10
500g frozen peas
2 ripe avocados, mashed
2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1 red chilli, seeded, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
grated rind and juice of 2 limes
125ml chopped fresh coriander
5ml salt
2ml pepper
tortilla chips, for serving
Bring a medium pot of salted water to the boil and prepare a bowl of ice water.
Add the peas to the boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Drain peas and immediately transfer to the ice water. Drain well.
In a bowl, combine the mashed avocados, tomatoes, chilli, red onion, lime rind and juice, chopped coriander, salt and pepper.
In a food processor, purée the peas until almost smooth, but still a little chunky, and add to the avocado mixture.
Stir well to combine.
Adjust salt and lime juice as needed.
Serve in a bowl with tortilla chips.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.