Peas rapidly lose their flavour once podded, so only pod them immediately before cooking. If there are any tiny peas within, keep them to one side so they can be kept raw whilst you cook the larger ones. Often after podding, you aren’t always left with a lot of peas, so this recipe is great for utilising the pods to make a delicate broth. They are packed with flavour. This is a simple summer starter that tastes like restaurant cooking: pure flavours and crisp textures, with the added luxury of the sweet prawns, which marry beautifully with the sweetness of the peas.
Pea pod broth
200g Pea shells
320g Water
Pinch Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 handful Spinach
- Have a bowl in the freezer.
- Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until it looks like a coarse smoothie.
- Bring to the boil then immediately pour into the frozen bowl to cool tray to blastchill.
- Strain through a fine sieve.
To finish
Fresh peas, just podded
1 pkt Cooked peeled prawns
2 handfuls Pea shoots or mixed leaves
1 Celery stick, peeled then finely sliced
1 tbsp Preserved lemon, finely chopped
4 tbsp Olive oil
- Place small bowls in the freezer.
- Blanch the larger peas in rapidly boiling lightly salted water for 1 minute, then drain and refresh under the cold tap. Drain and transfer to a bowl then add the tiny peas, raw.
- Mix in the pea pod broth, some prawns, the pea shoots, celery and preserved lemon.
- Divide between the froze bowls, then drizzle over each one tablespoon of olive oil