Mushy Peas #Foodie Extravaganza

This month Foodie Extravaganza is celebrating Irish food! Mushy peas are iconic to all of the British Isles, popular in England, Scotland, and Ireland but eaten slightly differently depending on where you are. In England and Scotland they are popular with fish and chips or pork pies. In Ireland they are popular with roast lamb. I was lucky enough recently to be near a British market and get marrowfat peas, the proper base for mushy peas. They can be made with fresh peas and then mashed, and that method is fairly common now, but I really wanted to try them with the marrowfat.

 

Marrowfat peas are the same as the tender little peas we buy frozen, or at least they were. These peas have been allowed to mature and then dry while still in the field. They are hard when they come out of the package and need to be soaked overnight to soften up enough to cook properly.

Once soaked they are plump and green, and they get more and more vibrant as they cooked. The package I used came with a sodium bicarbonate tablet, most recipes I read online said to soak them together and rinse before cooking. I tried it both ways and preferred the ones without the tablet. It didn't change the final texture, but no matter how much I rinsed the peas they retained some of the flavor in the final dish.

7 oz. marrowfat peas
1 scant tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. butter

Boil a small pot of water and pour over the marrowfat peas. Let soak for 12 hours. 

Drain and rinse really well, rinsing several times, and place in a medium sized saucepan and cover with water. Add the salt and cook over medium until the peas are tender, between 20 and 30 minutes depending on the peas. 

While the peas are cook stir occasionally to keep from sticking but not constantly. Add the pepper, sugar, and butter. Keep cooking until the peas are reduced and thick. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Serve immediately. 

Check out the other #FoodieExtravaganza Irish recipes this month!

• Beef and Smoked Sausage Cabbage Rolls from Food Lust People Love
• Colcannon from Sneha's Recipe
• Colcannon (Irish Potatoes and Cabbage) from Caroline's Cooking
• Cold Irish Day Cocktail from Our Good Life
• Dublin Coddle - Irish Bacon, Sausage, and Potato Stew from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Instant Pot Dublin Coddle from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Irish Coffee from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Traditional Shepherd's Pie from Cookaholic Wife