I used to buy mushy peas. Tins of them, then one day I had none and the teens were moaning, I decided to have a go at making my own. Marrowfat peas make the closest thing to the tins you buy in the shops, but marrowfat peas are not something I tend to have on hand. I do, always, however, have bags of frozen peas or petit pois. The taste is slightly different with the younger garden variety peas, rather then the more mature marrowfat ones, but to be honest, the taste with the younger peas is actually amazing and doesn’t take long to do.
I think it comes with the advent of kids needing fed quickly, and no time to go shopping, which is always my issue these days with mum requiring more soft meals and the teenagers always bringing friends home for food. They don’t always eat what I make, but hey, at least they’ve been offered decent food. Cook the peas in a microwave or use a hob on the pan.
This version is made so that my mum can eat them, so they are very well blended and are just made using petit pois. These are also great for making mushy pea and ham soup.
- 300g Frozen Peas (any kind) Use marrowfat peas to get a similar effect to tinned mushy peas
- 30g Butter
- Tablespoon Double Cream (Optional)
- Water
- Half Level Teaspoon Salt
- Pinch Cracked & Ground Black Pepper
- Put your peas into a microwaveable bowl, sprinkle the salt and pepper and cover the peas with water. Cook on full power for between 6-10 minutes. Depending on the type of pea you have, it might take longer. I usually put mine on for 5 minutes, then check them to see if they've softened up. If they haven't, I just microwave them for a slightly longer.
- When peas are softened, drain the water from the peas and add the butter and optional cream. Depending on your taste, you may want to add a little extra salt. .
- To keep a tinned style effect, use a potato masher to mash down the peas, or for a more pureed version, like the image here, just pop them into a blender for a few seconds. This can also be blitzed for longer, as a pure puree version for those who need it.
I don’t have a microwave can I still make mushy peas ?
You could try them on the stove, but would need more water I suspect.