French style peas and butter lettuce.

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I first saw a version of this recipe on the Laura Calder Food Network show years ago. The recipe is for simply cooked peas and shallots in butter, to which you add torn leaves of butter lettuce, stock and dill. Simplicity itself. I serve this dish on its own with good crusty bread, over grilled bread or alongside other foods. I have seen variations of this recipe and it is a dish that is quite common in French country cooking. 

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallots, peeled and cut into rings

2 cups freshly shelled peas

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock

1 small head butter lettuce, leaves cut into chunky ribbons, not too small.

A handful fresh dill, chopped

Salt and pepper

A handful of micro-greens for garnish

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium sized skillet. Add the shallot rings and cook a couple of minutes until softened but not browned.

Add the peas and cook until they glisten with the butter.

Add the stock and cook another minute or so, until the peas are almost done to your liking. This should not take too long if the peas are nice and fresh.

Now add the lettuce and cook, stirring, until the lettuce wilts and the liquids evaporated. There should just be a nice buttery glaze over everything. You can cover the skillet for a short while to speed up the cooking but be careful not to keep it covered for too long because the greens may turn yellow (there is some acid build-up when it is covered). If everything seems cooked before the stock has evaporated you can remove the peas and lettuce out of the skillet and continue to cook the butter and stock to a glaze, then pour it over the peas.

Add salt and pepper to taste and add the dill. Stir gently to mix. Serve immediately, sprinkled with a handful of micro greens.

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