Best Basic Buttered Peas Recipes

SIMPLE FRESH BUTTERED PEAS (ENGLISH PEAS RECIPE)

Steps:

• Bring a saucepan of water to a hard boil.
• While waiting for the water to boil, shell the peas into a colander and rinse them. You should have about 2 1/2 cups after shelling.
• Boil the peas for about 60 seconds. When they all rise to the top, they're done. Remove them from the heat and drain immediately.
• Toss the warm cooked peas with the butter and salt.

BUTTERED PEAS

Steps:

• In a saucepan bring 3 cups water to a boil and add peas and salt to taste. Simmer peas until tender, 3 to 8 minutes, and drain. In a bowl toss hot peas with butter and salt and pepper to taste.

BUTTERED SNAP PEAS

Steps:

• Cook 1 1/4 pounds sugar snap peas in boiling water until bright green, about 3 minutes; drain. Cook 1 minced shallot in a skillet with 2 tablespoons butter until soft, about 3 minutes. Whisk in a splash of water, then add the peas and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add chopped tarragon and parsley, and salt and pepper.

BUTTERED PEAS

Steps:

• The easiest, and maybe the best, way to serve tender shelling peas is to shell them and then cook them in 1/2 inch or so of salted boiling water. Peas take longer to cook than you might expect; I find they take around 4 minutes. Keep tasting them, and drain them when they are done to your liking. Put a large pat of butter on them and a sprinkle of salt, stir together, and serve immediately. If you have it available, chervil is wonderful chopped and stirred in. A slice or two of prosciutto or other ham can be julienned and stirred in with the butter, which makes a lovely pasta sauce for fresh or dried egg noodles. Another way to cook peas, one dear to the French, is to heat the water, then add salt and a few butter lettuce leaves along with the peas. When the peas are tender, swirl in butter to make a sauce around the peas and lettuce. The peas can also be cooked in olive oil instead of butter.
• All of these ways of cooking shelled peas apply to sugar snap peas. Cook them whole, or cut in half lengthwise or diagonally so that they mix well with sauce.

SMASHED BUTTERY PEAS

Steps:

• Cook 1 pound frozen peas with 4 tablespoons each butter and water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat until soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Uncover and smash with a potato masher to make a chunky puree. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon each lemon zest and pepper. Season with salt and thin with 2 to 3 tablespoons water.