Petits pois à la française

"A big bowl of very small fresh peas (even in good restaurants it is rare nowadays not to get petits pois de conserve) cooked with little shreds of lettuce but without the little onions usually associated with the à la française manner of cooking them. The result was very creamy and good. I doubt if I shall ever again put onions with my peas." Elizabeth David

This little piece was part of a sort of diary of a stay that Elizabeth David made at a small hotel in the Ardèche back in 1958. The petits pois de conserve she was talking about were the tinned variety that you find everywhere in France. They are a staple thing like baked beans in England. I ate them often when in France but can't remember now whether they came out of a tin or whether my two hostesses cooked them from scratch. I do remember that I was not particularly fond of them and it was not something I continued to make for myself. Not like the green beans that I have never been able to reproduce. And the vinaigrette that we eat to this day.

She also makes reference to the fact that the ones she was served were not the 'standard' version. Of course - there is no standard version. I've looked.

Somehow or other when I was researching David's request for green pepper steak I came across a recipe somewhere for making frozen peas into a version of this French dish. So I tried it, and really it was pretty nice. I will try it again. But to my English tastebuds I think it lacked a bit of mint. Peas need mint I think. The picture on the website - Bon Appétit was like this:

My version didn't look quite the same. Well I didn't like the idea of large bits of lettuce, so I shredded it finely. It was very simple. Put a layer of lettuce in the bottom of the saucepan. Cover with frozen peas, (yes frozen, clinging ice and all), some dobs of butter and a sprinkling of sugar. Repeat with lettuce, peas, etc. and lettuce and cook over a low heat. Keep an eye to see if you need to add water. I didn't. They don't take long - 5 minutes or so.

So today I had a look to see how 'authentic' this was, bearing in mind that I wasn't using fresh peas. Which, of course, the gourmets say you should:

"Fresh-shelled peas are one of the most delightful vegetables of all - young and tender, they melt in the mouth when cooked and taste wonderful raw. Sure, it takes a bit of time to shell them, but sitting by an open window or in the garden on a bright summer's day shelling peas can be wonderful therapy." Delia Smith

I used to love shelling peas - we would sit on the steps down to our garden outside the kitchen door, eating a few along the way. I went to the market today and there were peas of course. I was almost tempted to buy some, but I didn't I confess. I marginally regret that now. I've also tried to grow them but with my usual lack of success. When I use peas (not often) I use the dreaded frozen ones I'm afraid.

Jane Grigson has quite a go at frozen peas - back in 1978.

"Sadly I have to concede that the great days of young peas are over in this country (England) at least, after only three centuries. We started growing them in the 17th century. Now in the 1970s - finis. Freezer companies have put an end to the enjoyment of young peas, to the expectation of their arrival. The frozen pea caricatures the real thing, but so closely that it spoils it. Processing exaggerates sweetness, turns flavour to uniformity. The frozen pea has come to occupy something of the position of grey dried peas of earlier times. One sees it everywhere, all year round and takes it for granted, avoiding it if possible, eating it with contempt (except in soup when its characteristics are modified by other ingredients and dilution.) Now it seems as if greengrocers can hardly be bothered with the real thing. Invariably it is picked too large, so that its toughness throws people back to the freezer." Jane Grigson

I would like to think that this is no longer true but I suspect it is. Yes you can buy fresh peas, but they are never in vast quantities and therefore a bit pricey, considering how much you throw away. However, I do think that the health movement, and the farmer's markets may possibly bring them back. And of course you can always grow your own - if you're not me. I shall just have to make do with the frozen variety for now. Incidentally in her Vegetable Book Jane Grigson does not include a recipe for petits pois à la française, which is interesting.

But back to petits pois à la française and authenticity. You know i think that Jane Grigson could be right about the different taste of frozen peas. Certainly the peas that I cooked the other day were not the same taste as the ones I ate in France - although, as I said, I didn't like the French ones very much. They had a slightly strange taste to me. Mine were also still green and the French ones were brownish - as below:

This might have something to do with how long you cook them. I didn't cook them very long, but several recipes that I found cooked them for quite a long time. Nigella's version, which seems to be very popular, cooks for 15 minutes, and my truly authentic version says around two hours. It's truly authentic because it's from a little paperback called La Cuisine Pour Tous (Cookery for Everyone), which I bought whilst in France. I have rarely used it but it's a good thing to have as a touchstone as it is written for the 'ordinary' French housewife. According to them you stew the peas for 20 minutes in butter, (50g for 500g of peas), then you add sliced onions, lettuce - which seems to be merely washed and not sliced in any way, some sugar, cover and cook for a further 1-1/2 hours. Add water every now and then if needed.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking also cooks the peas for a long time and they quarter their lettuce and leave it in chunks tied with string, so as not to fall apart. And yes they put in onions - the bulbs of spring onions or tiny white onions. And parsley which I have not seen elsewhere.

For that's another controversy - to add the onions or not. I began with Elizabeth David saying no, having tasted her ultimate version in her hotel in the Ardèche. Others add bacon or ham, but I really don't think this is very authentic.

The final controversy is whether to use chicken stock for the cooking or water. Or no water at all like the recipe I used. If you use chicken stock the peas tend to be cooked uncovered until the liquid has disappeared.

But they all add lettuce - to varying degrees - mostly quite a lot. I must confess I didn't add a lot just enough to cover the base and the layers of peas thinly. And Delia uses rocket rather than lettuce. And butter - butter it seems is vital. Lots of it. Elizabeth David recommends a quarter of a pound for 1 pound of peas.

I'll finish with Robert Carrier's little essay/recipe for how to cook peas. It's not called Petits pois à la française but is obviously based on it. And it might be the best version of all.

"The old-fashioned method of boiling peas in a pan of water and then throwing the water away has much to condemn it; so many of the valuable vitamins and trace elements are lost in the water, and the peas themselves lose so much of their flavour and identity. I far prefer to steam fresh peas to obtain the utmost in flavour; or cook them in heavy, shallow pans with tight-fitting lids for almost waterless cooking, with just a little chicken stock or water and a little butter to add lustre and savour. When served hot with a few tablespoons of Chicken Velouté sauce, they become food fit for the gods.

Always serve peas as soon as possible after cooking; they tend to lose flavour and texture if kept warm over any period of time." Robert Carrier

No lettuce. And I'm not sure I would miss it.

But just as I was closing this down I found the original recipe from a French cookbook called L'Art de Bien Traiter published in 1694 and written by L.S.R (whoever he was - they don't know). I've left the original French there because I like French. But there is an English translation below. And you know I reckon this might sound the most promising of all - he has bacon, shreds the lettuce finely and adds cream at the end (so does Stephanie Alexander in one of her versions). I will try this next time.

"Pois verts. S’ils sont très nouveaux, & de la première saison passez-les par la poësle avec moitié beure & moitié lard menu bien moins que roux, assaisonnez-les de fort peu de sel & d’épices pour ne point destruire leur goust naturel, qui paroist comme tout sucrin, mettez-y quelque coeurs de laituës pommées blanchies hachées menu, un petit vert de siboulette, peu de thim, & sur tout point d’eau si ce n’est une cuillerée ou deux de votre meilleur boüillon, car les legumes d’elles mesmes en font assez, songez pareillement qu’ils doivent estre un peu verdelets, autrement à force de cuire ils deviendront tout jaunes, un moment avant de servir jettez-y de la cresme à proportion, remuez encore cinq ou six tours & donnez promptement à manger..

Green peas. If they are very fresh and from the first crop, pass them through the pan with half butter and half finely chopped bacon, melted but not brown. Season them with very little salt and spices to prevent destroying their natural taste which is very sweet. Add some blanched finely chopped hearts of butter lettuce, a little green of chives, a little thyme. Above all NO water, or just one or two spoons of your best broth, because the greens themselves have enough of it (water). Also remember that they have to be green, because otherwise they’ll turn quite yellow through cooking. Add cream as needed just before serving, stir five or six times, and serve at once to be eaten."

Voilà. No sugar.