830. Green Peas

A delicious vegetable, a grateful accessory to many dishes of a more substantial nature. Green peas should be sent to table green, no dish looks less tempting than peas if they wear an autumnal aspect. Peas should also be young, and as short a time as possible should be suffered to elapse between the periods of shelling and boiling. If it is a matter of consequence to send them to table in perfection, these rules must be strictly observed. They should be as near of a size as a discriminating eye can arrange them; they should then be put in a cullender, and some cold water suffered to run through them in order to wash them; then having the water in which they are to be boiled slightly salted, and boiling rapidly, pour in the peas; keep the saucepan uncovered, and keep them boiling swiftly until tender; they will take about twenty minutes, barely so long, unless older than they should be; drain completely, pour them into the tureen in which they are to be served, and in the centre put a slice of butter, and when it has melted stir round the peas gently, adding pepper and salt; serve as quickly and as hot as possible.

It is commonly a practice to boil mint with the peas, this, however, is very repugnant to many palates, and as it may easily be added if agreeable to the palate, it should not be dressed with the peas although it may accompany them to table for those who may desire the flavour.

831. Stewed Peas

Take a quart of young fresh shelled peas and lay them in a stewpan with two ounces of butter, or three if they should be old, an onion cut in four, a very small sprig of mint, two table-spoonfuls of gravy, and one tea-spoonful of white sugar; stew gently until they are tender, take out the mint and the onion, thicken with flour and butter, and serve very hot, a lettuce may be chopped up and stewed with them.

832. Stewed Peas

Cut in small pieces one or two Cos lettuces, a faggot of mint, a quart of peas, a quarter of a pound of butter squeezed well into the peas, put in one large onion, cover them over, and put them over a slow fire to stew for several hours according to your fire, looking at them often to see they do not burn; have ready a piece of butter worked up with flour, and when the peas are nearly tender put it in, and shake it about, take out the onion and faggot of mint, add a gill of cream, a little sugar, pepper and salt; they should be a little sweet.

833. Pois A La Francaise

Into a pan of cold clear spring water put the eighth of a pound of fresh butter, put in the peas newly shelled, if more than a quart add more butter, work the butter and peas together until the former adheres to the latter, remove them from the basin, and having well drained them lay them in a stewpan and stew them in the butter adhering to them only, they require no other moisture, let them stew gently, occasionally moving them about, in rather better than a quarter of an hour cover them with a thin gravy, or boiling water, but only just cover them, add a sprinkle of salt and boil for half an hour, moisten a little white sugar and add it to the peas thickening with a little butter and flour, shake the peas over the fire for a minute or two, turn them into a very hot dish, and forming into a pyramid send them to table.

They require no accompanying sauce.

834. Peas Stewed In Cream

Put two or three pints of young green peas into a saucepan of boiling water, when they are nearly done and tender drain them in a cullender quite dry; melt two ounces of butter in a clean stewpan thicken it evenly with a little flour, shake it over the fire, but on no account let it brown, mix smoothly with it the fourth of a pint of cream, add half a tea-spoonful of white; sugar, bring it to a boil, pour in the peas, and keeping them moving until they are well heated, which will hardly occupy two minutes, send them to table immediately.