peas braised with spring onions

piselli con cipolline verdi

for 6

500 g spring onions

3 kg fresh young peas (podded weight 1.5 kg)

350 ml chicken stock (see here)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 head curly endive

extra virgin olive oil

Trim the spring onions, removing the green leafy stalks and the roots. Pod the peas.

Bring the chicken stock to the boil.

In a large, thick-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and gently cook the spring onions until they become translucent but not brown. Add the peas, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat all the peas with the olive oil. Add enough stock to cover the peas generously and cover the mixture with a piece of greaseproof paper. Reduce the heat as low as possible and cook for 15 minutes or until the spring onions are completely tender.

Remove all the outer leaves of the curly endive and discard. Tear the small white leaves into shreds and stir into the peas. Cook for a further few minutes until the endive is wilted. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to finish. Serve at room temperature.