CRUSHED SPRING PEAS WITH MINT As a girl in England, I always loved mushy peas, whether they were made the real way – from a starchy variety of pea called marrowfat that’s dried, then soaked – o r dumped into a pot straight from a tin. Nowadays I prefer this mash made from fresh, sweet shelling peas – a twist on the British classic, which actually takes less work to make than its inspiration. It’s wonderful spread in a thick layer on warm bread or as a dip for raw veg, like radishes, carrots, and wedges of fennel.
makes about 300g 300g fresh peas (from about 900g of pods) 25g aged pecorino, finely grated 1½ teaspoons Maldon or another flaky sea salt 1 small spring garlic clove or ½ small garlic clove, smashed, peeled and roughly chopped 12 medium mint leaves 3 tablespoons extra-v irgin olive oil Scant 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more for finishing
Combine the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to a coarse purée, about 45 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and roughly stir and smoosh a bit so it’s a little creamy and a little chunky. Season to taste with more salt and lemon juice – you want it to taste sweet and bright but not acidic.
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