pea Archives - Sugar et al

Are you noticing quite a few breakfast recipes in this space? I confess, that is one meal I am paying more attention to. That is because the others are turning out to be less of sit down meals and more of quick fix situations. We are outdoors for most of the time our weather allows us. Day times have been warm. Hot rather! But evenings are the perfect excuse to step outside and watch the colourful sunset or lose ourselves to the soothing water views.

I find myself totally drawn to the water front. It kind of refreshes my soul. And that is probably the only time I am ready to sit down and relax. At home, I am constantly doing something. Life with two young kids can be very demanding…I have mentioned it before. I can make it worse for myself by finding a hundred other things to do. I am a cleanliness freak. It’s certainly not a great situation with two little boys running around the house looking for an excuse to begin an adventure. So yes, I think I’ve found another place to unwind. Other than my kitchen!

I’ve been making these fritters frequently because they allow me to add plenty of vegetables. They came together quickly but I still find it easier to make the batter the previous night and fry the fritters at breakfast time. The batter is very much like a pancake batter, only thicker. The choice of herbs and vegetables is entirely yours. For the herbs, I use coriander or parsley or mint…just a random choice. I grow the last two in my garden but I buy coriander leaves. So if that’s at home I usually try and finish that one. Sometimes, I serve sausages or smoked salmon with the fritters but it’s really quite great on its own. Even a salsa or salad is fantastic to go with it. I also like to dollop either sour cream or Greek yoghurt on the fritters. Needless to say, they will make a great snack or even an appetizer.

Corn, Carrot and Pea Breakfast Fritters
Makes 12-14 fritters

11/2 cups self-raising flour (or 11/2 cup plain flour +1 tsp baking powder)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/2 cup milk (more, if required)
3/4 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen, drain if using canned)
1 carrot, grated
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion, finely chopped
Herbs- Coriander, Parsley, Mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg and milk and stir gently to make a smooth batter. Add more milk if required. It should result in a thick but drop-able consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to rest.

Add the corn, grated carrots, peas, onions and herbs to the batter and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a little of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop 2 tablespoons of batter in the pan for a fritter, fitting in as any fritters in the pan leaving room for spreading. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles have risen to the surface and the fritter is golden underneath. Turn with a spatula and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat in more batches with remaining batter and oil.

Serve fritters with sour cream or greek yoghurt.

I had to make room in my freezer to put in the tubs of ice cream I bought this morning. A big pack of frozen peas prevented the freezer door from closing. So that resulted in a few curried pea stuffed flatbreads and this soup. You might be wondering, on a hot sunny afternoon, wouldn’t it make sense to finish the ice cream than go through the trouble of making and eating a soup. It would. If along the way, I had not pictured myself cutting though layers of ice cream cake covered in pretty swirls of raspberry puree and adorned with juicy fresh berries. We’ll keep the ice cream cake for later.
The flatbreads disappeared leaving no scope for photography. I took a few quick pictures of the soup while nibbling on a flatbread. Nobody complained about a not-so-warm soup anyway.

This soup goes down really well with my children mainly for its colour and the crispy prosciutto on the side. I have figured out a an easier and quicker way of making soups that involve potato. Instant mashed potato flakes. This is pretty much available in any supermarket and saves you the work of boiling and mashing potatoes. It acts as a great thickening agent too. All you do is add it to the pea and stock mixture and you have a thick soup in minutes. I would generally not use it as a substitute for the real potato mash but in soups, you can barely notice the difference.

Prosciutto can be substituted with bacon if that is your preference. Vegetarians can omit it altogether and add croutons instead for a little crunch and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. If you do not want to use Instant mashed potatoes, you can use 1 medium potato, peeled and grated.

Pea, Potato and Prosciutto Soup
Serves 4

I onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups frozen peas
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup instant potato mash powder
1 cup water
5-6 slices of proscuitto
salt and cracked pepper to serve
a dollop of sour cream to serve

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the onion and cook till soft. Add the peas, stock, water and instant mash (or grated potato if you are using one) and stir to mix. Cook till peas become tender and the soup thickens.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside to cool.

Transfer the pea mixture to the bowl of a food processor or the jug of a blender. (If you have a stick blender, you can blend it directly in the saucepan). Process or blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the soup to a clean saucepan over medium heat and stir until heated through. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup among serving bowls and dollop the sour cream. Break the prosciutto into large pieces and arrange on top of the soup to serve.