Why this freezer staple is a real kitchen hero

Because they’re frozen so quickly after picking, peas retain their flavour, texture, colour and nutritional value.

The Frozen Peas Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith, photography by Mowie Kay. Murdoch Books $40.

Peas, glorious peas. The emeralds of the vegetable world are easily the most useful frozen vegetable. What’s more, because they’re frozen so quickly after picking they retain their flavour, texture, colour and nutritional value. In my humble opinion, frozen is best. Unless, of course, you’re able to pick them straight from the garden immediately before cooking, while they’re still tender and sweet. The fresh peas that grace the supermarket shelves are usually too old to compare favourably to their frozen counterpart. I hope these recipes give you some new favourites to add to your pea repertoire.

This is an edited extract from The Frozen Peas Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith (Murdoch, $40). Photography by Mowie Kay

Pea and pesto tart.

The Frozen Peas Cookbook.

Pea and pesto tart

For a cheesier tart, grate a little cheddar, Parmesan or Italian hard cheese over the top of the filling in the final 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 × 320g packet ready-rolled puff pastry
• 150-200g frozen peas
• 250g ricotta
• 1 egg
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 4 tablespoons pesto
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and lay it on a non-stick baking tray. Score along each side of the pastry, around 3cm in from the edges, to create a border – take care not to cut all the way through the pastry. Prick inside the border all over with a fork. Bake in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown and puffed up.
2. While the pastry cooks, tip the peas into a heatproof bowl – if you’d like to scatter some whole peas over the top for decoration, use 200g. Pour freshly boiled water over the peas and leave for 2 minutes to defrost, then drain. Put 150g of the peas, 175g of the ricotta, the egg, lemon zest and juice into a blender with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until combined and the peas have broken down a little – you can go as chunky as you like here.
3. Remove the pastry from the oven and, using a spoon or fork, push down the puffed pastry inside the border to create a pastry case. Spread the pea and ricotta mixture over the centre of the pastry case – it’s easier to start from the outside and work your way in. Return the tart to the hot oven for 8 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven, then dot over the remaining ricotta, scatter over the 50g of whole peas (if using) and spoon dollops of the pesto on top.
4. Bake in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes or until the ricotta is a little golden and the pastry is golden and cooked through.

Serves 4-6

Pea fritters.

Samuel Goldsmith.

Pea fritters

If there’s one thing I can’t refrain from ordering at brunch, it’s a fritter; pea or sweetcorn, preferably. That, and a cocktail, something fizz-based. Anyway, I digress. The fritter is the king of brunch, especially when topped with a poached egg and a zingy dip – I recommend something with harissa. Not only do I love the flavour and colour of a pea fritter, I love folding in some whole peas for a little crunch.

Ingredients

• 200g frozen peas
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint, dill or parsley
• 100g self-raising flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• Oil, for frying
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Place the peas in a heatproof bowl and cover with freshly boiled water to defrost. Leave for a few minutes, then drain. Allow the peas to dry for 5 minutes.
2. Remove a handful of peas and set aside, then roughly chop the rest before putting them in a bowl with the spring onions and herbs.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the flour, eggs, milk and mayonnaise to make a smooth batter. Season well with plenty of salt and pepper. Fold this into the pea mixture along with the reserved whole peas.
4. Form the pea mixture into 10-12 fritters and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the fritters and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. (I prefer to cook over a low heat to ensure they don’t burn on the outside.) You may need to cook the fritters in batches; if so, add a little more oil after each batch if necessary.

Serving suggestion: 
Pea fritters go well with poached eggs, spiced yogurt (mixed with ground spices, harissa or chilli sauce), guacamole, salsa, a light salad and lime wedges, to name but a few accompaniments.

Makes 10-12 fritters

Pea carbonara.

Pea carbonara

Second only to a McDonald’s breakfast, carbonara is the perfect hangover cure – and it’s simple enough to make when you’re suffering from one. The peas add a great pop of colour and I like the addition of the texture, too.

Ingredients

• 200g dried spaghetti
• 150g frozen peas
• 125g smoked pancetta lardons or smoked streaky bacon, chopped
• 2 egg yolks
• 50g Parmesan, finely grated

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. With 2 minutes of the cooking time left, add in the frozen peas.
2. Bring back to the boil and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Once cooked, drain, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water. Set aside. While the pasta is cooking, fry the pancetta or chopped bacon in a frying pan until crisp. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks and Parmesan together with enough of the reserved pasta water to make a thin, paste-like texture – you should only need about 75ml.
5. f the pasta hasn’t finished cooking yet, scoop a little out of the pot.
6. Once cooked, tip the pancetta/bacon, pasta and peas into the bowl with the egg mixture and toss everything together – the egg will set in the residual heat of the pasta.
7. Season well with lots of freshly ground black pepper, then serve immediately. Serves 2