BASIC: PEAS

BASIC: PEAS

Cooked Peas should look Bright green and happy.   SAD Peas have a shade of olive green and are wrinkled.   

My mom use to murder peas and when I say murder I literally mean murder.  After she got done with them they would look like sad, shriveled sickly green gobs of what use to be some sort of vegetables.
One of the many horrors of my childhood.  So first of all let me make it clear, Pea's do not require cooking of any type!  They need to be heated up and that's it.

Note: This will not include canned peas.  To much trauma.

For Frozen Peas.    

What you need to make pea perfection.

1. A pan with simmering water.
2. A  large sieve for scooping the peas out. 
3. A ice bath. 

Here we go:
1. Pour desired amount of peas into simmering water.
2.  As soon as you see the ice melt off, try one, it should be warm, but not hot.
3.  Scoop out all the peas with the sieve and dunk in ice bath for 1 minute.   Why?  This will give the pea its snap when you eat it.
This method is great for salads.

For Fresh Peas.  
 Were going to saute them for a bit, and again this is not really cooking, your just warming them up.  

1. 1 to 2 cups peas.
2.  1 minced garlic clove (optional)
3.  1 tablespoon olive oil / butter (optional)

You can cook them with out the olive oil or garlic.

Add garlic and olive oil / butter to the pan and turn to medium high.  Saute garlic a bit and then add the peas.  Turn down burner to medium low.   As they cook taste them.  Peas cook fast because there so small.   Taste them as they cook.  They should have a nice firm snap to them.  They will be a little bit different in texture form the frozen though, if your not use to fresh. 

TIPS: 
1. When making a dish for instant, soup, stew or what not add the peas at the last moment, the heat of the dish will cook them, this goes for frozen too.

2.  This is my method of using frozen and fresh peas.  Instead of add a bunch of peas to the soup I add a little bit to each individual bowl. The food is hot enough and cooks them.  This way if there is left over they don't over cook.  I like my peas to have that snap, each and every time.

It's that easy.

Have FUN!