Peas Please!

 Like many people, I suspect, without frozen peas I would feel bereft.  As well as the inevitable childhood chips-and-peas accompaniment, they are a useful ingredient in their own right.  So easy to throw into meals for a burst of colour and flavour; going so well with not only traditional British flavours but also with exotic spiced curries and pilafs.  Add softened onion, stock and cream (and bung in some mint or basil if you like, too), blend, and you have a beautiful light soup in moments.  Tip some into a risotto or make a meatless carbonara; the possibilities seem almost endless.

So it was pleasing to find, in the post, the new recipe booklet from the Yes Peas! campaign.  Full of all sorts of interesting recipes, such as Green Pea Hummus, Mild Pea & Sweet Potato Curry and Pea and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread, tonight I tried this Pea & Tuna Kedgeree.  It was very easy to make and very satisfying to serve - both my little boys had several helpings!

Pea & Tuna Kedgeree

This recipe is just as it appears in the booklet, with my additional notes in italics. I substituted 2 tbsp of ghee for the oil-and-butter mix.  The photo was, gratifyingly, taken by me and not by a food stylist!

300g frozen peas
4 eggs, hard-boiled and shelled
250g long-grain rice (I used basmati)
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
30g butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp mild curry paste (I used Patak's Tikka)
1 tsp cumin seeds
400g tin of tuna, drained
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Squeeze of lemon
Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 160°c.  Cook the frozen peas in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and set aside (I actually just put them in a jug, poured a kettle of boiling water over them and left them for 3 minutes).  Roughly chop the eggs.  Add a pinch of salt to a large pan of boiling water, add the rice and return to the boil, stir well, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender, drain in a sieve and set aside (as always, I used my electric rice cooker to do this - with 2 manufacture-supplied measuring cups of rice).  Heat the oil and butter (ghee) in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan (large saucepan), add the chopped onions, curry paste and cumin seed and fry until the onion is cooked, but not brown, stirring all the time.  This will take about 3 minutes.  The add the rice, peas and tuna to the cooked onions and mix in well (I put it all into an oven dish at this point).  Cover (with foil) and place in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (I didn't bother).  Remove from the oven, add the roughly chopped eggs, parsley and lemon juice and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Serve with a green salad (I eschewed this, but did put a bowl of natural yoghurt on the table).

Cath xx