Petits pois à la française

Peas with Onion and Lettuce

Lettuce is often thought of as purely a salad green, but in fact until the eighteenth century it was more usually cooked than raw, and in France it is still often eaten this way, particularly in this dish.

serves 6

50 g (2 oz) butter

16 small pickling onions or French shallots

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) shelled fresh peas

250 g (9 oz) iceberg lettuce heart, finely shredded

2 sprigs of parsley

1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) chicken stock

1 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour

Melt 30 g (1 oz) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions or shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the peas, shredded lettuce, parsley sprigs and sugar.

Pour in the chicken stock and stir well. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring a couple of times, for 15 minutes, or until the onions are cooked through. Remove the parsley.

Mix the remaining butter with the flour to make a beurre manié. Add small amounts to the vegetables, stirring until the juices thicken a little. Season well with salt and black pepper.