Title kinda says it all.
I am cooking for family and doing a chicken dish. Peas and chicken are a natural go-together thing and I like peas plain with some salt.
But, I was wondering if there was a way to make them a bit more interesting than plain-old peas. A bit of butter comes to mind but…eh. Anything else to do with them? Need not be fancy (indeed, simple is better IMO).
It may be that plain peas are the best peas. That’s ok too.
(Do not recommend mushy peas or whirled peas.)
I once had (and always wonder why I don’t have it again) classic French peas and butter lettuce. It’s pretty simple. Chop some butter lettuce and onions, saute them in butter in a skillet until they’re wilted, then add fresh (or frozen) peas and a spoonful or two of chicken broth, cover the pan, and let it all braise together until the peas are done to your liking. Salt to taste and serve. Topnotch with chicken or fish.
Steam (do not boil) the peas. Transfer them to a bowl and toss with melted butter and some chopped mint. Add a shot of lemon juice and serve hot. (Mint jelly can also be used.)
More elaborately: Steam the peas and then saute them in some butter along with small chunks of bacon and some pearl onions. Stir in a spoonful of flour to make a roux and then add whole milk to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and serve hot.
Butter and some herbs: Cook the peas with some chopped green onions in a pan with some butter. Add in some parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to finish.
I sometimes have (canned) peas with a little cayenne sauce like Frank’'s or Crystal for lunch at work.
Pea gremolata is a nice simple side. You just half-heartedly mash the cooked peas with a fork or spoon and add a little chopped mint, a bit of lemon zest and some crumbled fetta cheese. Maybe a splash of olive oil, Simply stir together. Easy to tart up to suit your own tastes - use a different herb, a different/no cheese, add garlic, onion or chopped nuts.
Serve the chicken with a hot honey glaze. Also makes it easier to keep the peas on your knife.
Add just a splash of lemon juice and stir.
What kind of peas? Blackeyes? Crowder? Purple hull? English? Snow?
As the silly poem I learned as a kid said:
This is why I describe you figments of my imagination as “literate.”
Assuming (as most have) you’re talking about green peas, the easiest option is definitely a splash of lemon juice (as mentioned upthread). An amazing variant is a splash of a good seasoned balsamic vinegar. I have used a serrano honey, and Sicilian lemon balsamic to great effect, and depending on the main dish (Fried fish and chips) a malt vinegar is tasty as well.
My more workish option is similar to @terentii but a bit more basic. Steam the peas, add pre-made bacon crumbles (real), a tablespoon of butter, a splash of lemon, and stir. I don’t bother with making a full roux or butter sauce, but adding the salty smoky bacon and the slight creaminess of the butter with just the touch of sweet and sour of the lemon juice makes up for a great many flaws of frozen green peas.
That does seem to be the default assumption. It’s not what I think of first when someone says “peas”, but you can make split pea soup with them at least.
Depends on where you’re from. In America, I would expect most to assume your garden variety hulled green pea, as in what you might get in a frozen or cafeteria meal that contains peas. Anything else would generally be qualified with an adjective.
Personally, I don’t do much to them. A little bit of butter, and you’re good to go. If I’m making rice, I might mix them in with the rice as a peas-and-rice side (called rizibizi in Hungary and Croatia), but I don’t mess with them much, unless I want to go full-on Indian style in a dish like matar paneer.
I don’t either. I certainly don’t eat them.
Grilled onions combine very well with peas. Better with olive oil than butter.
Mint is another, as mentioned upthread. Seems to be pretty common in the UK (mushy peas). Better with butter than olive oil.
We keep a bag of green peas open in the freezer and I use them quite often in omelettes. For example, I’ll sauté some onion, mushrooms, and pepper, move them to a bowl to which I add some frozen peas. Then I start on cooking my eggs. When the eggs are nearly done, I’ll put the veggie bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds or so.
Before I fold my omelette I place some cheese, then the veggies. Done perfectly the peas are warm, but “pop” almost like caviar in your mouth as you chew.
Green peas and prosciutto. Frying pan, dash of olive oil, chopped proscuitto, fry up to your preference (squishy to brown), throw in some frozen (or fresh peas) until they turn bright green. A dash of black pepper and serve.
Add some finely chopped union and some mayonaise, stir into hot peas. Yum.
Don’t judge me . I was raised by wild dogs.
You forgot the bacon. That’s what turns peas from ho-hum to delicious. Mix hot peas with mayo, crumbled bacon and chopped green onions. That is a standard side dish at Thanksgiving for us.