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Petits pois à la française
Braised peas with lettuce
Petits pois à la française: French peas braised with lettuce, spring onions and butter
Petits pois à la française is the spring side dish of French family Sunday lunches, served with roast chicken or lamb from April to June, when fresh peas and soft round lettuces arrive in the markets together. The peas are braised in their own steam with shredded lettuce, spring onions and butter, which melts into a sweet, glossy little sauce. Frozen petits pois work very well out of season. The common mistake is adding too much water, which boils the peas grey instead of braising them. Chef's tip: a pinch of sugar brings out the sweetness of the peas, especially if they are a little starchy.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅜ oz unsalted butter
- 6 spring onionscut in 3 cm lengths
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh or frozen petits pois
- 1 soft round lettuceshredded
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 pinch sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Melt half the ⅔ oz unsalted butter in a wide pan over a low heat and soften the 6 spring onions for 3 minutes without browning.
3 minStep 2: Add the 1 ⅛ lb fresh or frozen petits pois, 1 soft round lettuce, 4 tbsp water, 1 pinch sugar and ½ tsp salt. Cover and cook gently for 8–10 minutes (5 minutes for frozen peas), shaking the pan now and then, until the peas are tender and the lettuce has melted down.
10 minStep 3: Take off the lid; there should be only a few spoonfuls of liquid. Stir in the rest of the ⅔ oz unsalted butter until it makes a glossy sauce, season with 1 pinch black pepper and scatter with 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does petits pois à la française take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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