Have you tried French peas? This delicious dish of braised peas in wine and stock is traditionally eaten as a starter, but I love to eat it as a side dish. It makes a great change from plain boiled peas!
For extra flavour there's spring onions and bacon lardons, which give loads of flavour and some extra texture too. And, if cooked lettuce sounds strange, believe me it's not. It becomes tender and sweet.
I think that this dish is so fresh and vibrant, perfect for entertaining on an elegant evening, or for something different at a family celebration!
Bon appétit!
French cooking is often quite simple and easy to do. Very often, vegetable dishes such as salads are served between courses and this recipe for French peas is a traditional starter, could be served as a main course or just a fabulous side dish.
Here's why you will love it!
- Elegant for special occasions, but also perfect for family get togethers.
- Easy to source the ingredients and frozen peas are the best!
- Just 10 minutes of cooking!
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🥘 Ingredients
- Peas - plain frozen green peas, not petit pois or fresh peas.
- Bacon - smoked bacon lardons. These are cut cubes of bacon, normally made with streaky bacon but can also be made from lean smoked bacon.
- Wine - use a dry white wine that you would drink. I recommend a Sauvignon Blanc or Muscadet.
- Chicken stock - from a stock cube is fine.
- Lettuce - little gem lettuce is the right size for this.
- Spring onions - salad onions or young onions.
- Olive oil - just regular olive oil, not extra virgin.
- Parsley - chopped fresh parsley.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍽 Equipment
- Large lidded frying pan or skillet
- Colander
🔪 Instructions
Start by gathering all of the ingredients together.
Cut the ends from the onions and slice in 1 cm or half an inch pieces.
Trim the lettuce core then cut into 4 pieces, leaving the core in place. This helps to keep the lettuce together for presentation.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat.
Add the bacon and brown for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
💭 Top tip
- If you are using real lardons there will be enough fat in them to fry without the oil and this will add even more flavour to the dish.
Pour in the wine and sliced onions, and let the mixture bubble for 2 minutes.
Add in the stock and peas, bring back to the boil and cook for 3 minutes.
Carefully place the lettuce quarters on top of the peas, with the stalks facing upwards.
Put the lid on for 2 minutes then turn off the heat. The lettuce should be just softened but still vibrant and green.
Remove the lettuce and place on a plate then drain the braised peas.
Place them in a serving dish and arrange the lettuce on the top.
Sprinkle over the parsley to serve.
🥗 Serve with
- Turkey Pithivier with Cranberries and Brie
- Turkey Ballotine
- Chicken and Leek Pie
- Roast Chicken with Lemon and Tarragon
- Chicken with Juniper Berries
Substitutions
- Bacon - use any type of bacon, or pancetta. Cut the bacon into small cubes or thin strips.
- Wine - use extra stock if you prefer not to use wine. You could also try white wine, or apple cider vinegar if you prefer, but halve the quantity.
📖 VARIATIONS
- Vegetarian - simply omit the bacon and replace the stock with vegetable.
- Onions - try chopped shallots or leeks for a different flavour.
- Parsley - use chopped mint for a different flavour.
Storage
If you have any leftover then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a frying pan or a microwave, adding the lettuce at the last minute.
I don't recommend freezing any leftover French peas.
FAQs
If alcohol from wine or beer is added to a stew, for example, and left to simmer for at least 90 minutes then very often the majority of the alcohol has chance to evaporate. However, when foods are cooked for a relatively short amount of time some alcohol may remain.
Spirits added during the cooking process or to desserts will still have the alcohol present in the dish.
If you are in any doubt do not serve to children. Replace with stock or vinegar.
More elegant dishes to try
More side dishes to try
📋 Recipe
French Peas with Bacon and Lettuce
Equipment
- Large lidded frying pan or skillet
- Colander or large sieve
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 100 g bacon smoked lardons
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 200 ml chicken stock
- 350 g frozen peas
- 1 little gem lettuce
- 6 spring onions
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh and chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat.
- Add the bacon and brown for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the wine, sliced onions, and let the mixture bubble for 2 minutes.
- Add in the stock and peas, bring back to the boil and cook for 3 minutes.
- Carefully place the lettuce quarters on top of the peas, with the stalks facing upwards.
- Put the lid on for 2 minutes then turn off the heat. Remove the lettuce and place on a plate then drain the peas.
- Place the peas in a serving dish and arrange the lettuce on the top to serve.
Notes
- If you are using real lardons there will be enough fat in them to fry without the oil and this will add even more flavour to the dish.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended'
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
maryanne
What a delicious way to fancy-up the usual boring pea side dish! So easy to make and so full of flavor!
Mindee Taylor
I've never had a side dish quite like this one. Gotta love when new recipe adventures end up being a new go to recipe because you can't get enough!
Heather Perine
I always hated peas growing up but that's because we always at them boiled..no flavor. But these totally changed my mind!! Wow, wow wow. Delicious..you made me into a "pea"liever 🙂
Joaquin
we loved this super simple and tasty recipe. Great side dish!
Claudia Lamascolo
Perfect timing I always look for great side dishes around the holiday and this is new for us which we will love!
Matt
Much better than my usual boring peas with salt, pepper and butter. The flavor is amazing with bacon!
Krissy Allori
My husband loves peas but I wanted to try something different than the usual. This turned out great!
Tavo
Really nice and easy to make a side dish! I just made it for dinner and loved it! easy, simple, and delicious!
Jessie
This recipe is so bright and colorful! Love the depth and hint of smoke you get from the lardons, too. It feels really decadent without being heavy!
Gina
Peas and bacon - such a great combination! This is a lovely side dish that's a nice change of pace from the 'normal' vegetables we tend to eat.