AI-generated image
Mushy peas
Soft, savoury marrowfat peas from the chippy
No fish and chip shop in the North of England is complete without a tub of mushy peas, and in Nottingham and Leeds they are sold with mint sauce from pea stalls at fairs. Dried marrowfat peas are soaked overnight with a little bicarbonate of soda, which softens their skins, and then simmered until they break down into a thick, savoury green mash. Chef's tip: rinse the soaked peas very well, or the bicarbonate leaves a soapy taste.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz dried marrowfat peas
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 4 ¼ cups boiling water
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ oz vegan butter or butteropt
- 1 tbsp mint sauce (optional)to serve
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the 9 oz dried marrowfat peas and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl, pour over the 4 ¼ cups boiling water, stir and leave to soak overnight; they will double in size.
720 minStep 2: Drain and rinse the peas thoroughly under cold water.
2 minStep 3: Put them in a pan with the 2 ½ cups water, bring to the boil and skim off any foam. Simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, stirring often, until the peas collapse into a thick mush.
40 minStep 4: Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp sugar and beat in the ½ oz vegan butter or butter if using. A common mistake is adding salt at the start, which keeps the skins tough.
2 minStep 5: Serve hot with fish and chips or a pie, with a splash of 1 tbsp mint sauce sauce.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mushy peas take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
TashmijabiMashed potatoes with stretchy cheese
Potatoes grow well in the cold valleys of Svaneti, and tashmijabi is how families around Mestia turn them into a feast dish: they are mashed hot, then beaten with handfuls of young sulguni until the purée becomes glossy and stretches from the spoon in long strands. It is served with grilled meat, kubdari or simply with pickles and Svan salt. A common mistake is letting the potatoes cool before adding the cheese; they must be piping hot for the cheese to melt and stretch. Chef's tip: keep the pan on a low heat while you beat, and use a firm wooden spoon. Most sulguni uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one or use mozzarella.
Georgian
Home-made golden syrup
A home-made stand-in for golden syrup, from sugar caramelised until amber and boiled with water to a two-thread syrup. Use it in any recipe that needs golden syrup, such as flapjacks, biscuits and treacle tarts.
Jamaican callalooSteamed callaloo greens
In Jamaica, callaloo means the leaves and tender stems of a type of amaranth, sold in big bundles in every market from Coronation Market in Kingston to Santa Cruz in St Elizabeth. It's steamed down with onion, tomato, garlic and thyme into soft, savoury greens with a mild mineral sweetness, and eaten at breakfast with fried dumplings, boiled green bananas or hard dough bread, or as a side at dinner. Spinach or Swiss chard can stand in if you can't find callaloo. Chef's tip: peel the fibrous skin from the thicker stems with a small knife and slice the stems and leaves finely across, about 1 cm wide. That's how Jamaican cooks get callaloo that's tender all the way through rather than stringy.
Jamaican