Double Pea Mash Food

MASHED PEAS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and cook and stir the frozen peas, mint leaves, and green onions until the peas are hot and tender but still bright green, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour the peas into a bowl, and mash until the peas are thoroughly crushed but still slightly chunky. Stir in the butter, brown sugar, and salt and pepper, and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Serve warm or cold.

DOUBLE PEA MASH

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cover the split peas with water, bring to the boil, then simmer until the peas are soft but still holding their shape. Don't turn it into soup! This stage usually takes me 35-40 minutes, but varies according to the type and age of the split peas.
• Drain the peas then return them to the pan and mash them with a large fork (laborious) or a potato masher (much easier). The texture will be like very dry mashed potatoes.
• Add the frozen peas (still frozen), the olive oil, the juice of a lemon, the garlic and the mint, and beat furiously with a wooden spoon over a low heat. The liquids will loosen the texture up a bit.
• When the Double Pea Mash has heated up again and the frozen peas are frozen no longer, season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Taste the mixture, and if you think it could benefit from more olive oil, garlic, mint or lemon juice, then add them.
• Serve! Enjoy! Go back for seconds! (That is, if there is any left to go back for. My children eat vast quantities of this, given the chance.).

CHICKPEA MASH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cover the chickpeas with cold water and soak overnight. The next day, drain and rinse well.
• Tip the chickpeas into a large pan with all the other ingredients except the olive oil. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for 1 hr-1 hr 10 mins until the chickpeas are tender but not mushy.
• Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Working in batches, blitz the chickpeas in a food processor along with their cooking liquid and the shallot until smooth.
• Reheat the mash if necessary and serve sharing-style with a generous drizzle of olive oil and some cracked black pepper on top.

SMASHED MINTED PEAS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and sizzle the shallot for 5 mins until soft. Add the stock and peas, and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 10 mins until the peas are soft.
• Roughly mash the pea mixture with a potato masher, or, if you prefer a smoother texture, purée with a hand blender. (It's best to leave some of the peas whole or roughly crushed for texture.) Season to taste and stir through the mint leaves just before serving.

PEPPERED DUCK WITH VANILLA MASH, PEA & WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Place them in a pan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 mins until tender, then drain in a colander. While they are draining, place the pan back on a low heat with the cream and vanilla pod and heat to infuse. Remove vanilla pod and take pan off the heat. Push the potatoes through a ricer back into the pan. Add the butter and seasoning, then beat to form a smooth mash. Set aside.
• Season the duck all over with salt and press the pepper into the skin side. Put the duck, skin-side down, in a cold frying pan and place over a low-medium heat. As the pan heats up, the duck will start to cook - you only want a gentle sizzle coming from the pan. If it is cooking too quickly, turn the heat down slightly. Cook for 10 mins, shaking the pan occasionally. When the skin is mahogany and crisp, flip the breasts over and cook on the flesh side for 5 mins more. This will give you duck that is slightly pink in the middle. Transfer the duck to a tray or plate and leave it to rest.
• Pour off all but 1 tsp fat from the duck pan, place pan back on the heat and cook the bacon for 3 mins until crisp. Turn up the heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 2 mins more. Splash in the Port, add the peas and stock, then simmer for 2 mins more. Pour any juices from the rested duck into the pan and season to taste.