Cooking in: No need to wait for summer. Frozen greens will do the job, writes Hugo Arnold
Summer is on the horizon, but two of the season's treats - peas and broad beans - still have a lot of growing to do. So it's time to cheat and use frozen ones, the better to enjoy the likes of scallops with minted pea puree; a salad of peas and asparagus with silky slices of wafer-thin Parma ham and shavings of Parmesan and feta; and pea and tarragon fritatta.
Pick a pea and its sugars start to convert to starch, which is why frozen-food companies make such a fuss about the speed with which they gather them from the fields. There are some who argue that a frozen pea is all sweetness and no body, a nymph of the vegetable world. But compare it with a fresh pea that has been languishing for hours if not days before it reaches you. All starchy attitude and little else.
A broad bean, on the other hand, rewards with its nutty sweetness from the very start - the more so when it is young, its grey skin at that point insignificant. Wait too long and the skin becomes bitter enough to require removal. I don't mind the work, but skinning broad beans is not the fastest of exercises.
Both these vegetables benefit from salty partners: crispy bacon, nuggets of Parmesan, an anchovy or two. It's a yin and yang thing. If you want to stay vegetarian, crisp sage leaves - a few seconds in hot olive oil does the trick - add a perfect savoury note; once the oil has cooled, by the way, you can use it for the dressing.
Recipes are for four people
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH PEAS AND LETTUCE
1 chicken
small bunch thyme
250ml chicken stock
500g peas
2 little gem, quartered lengthways
2 egg yolks
100ml double cream
1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees/gas six. Season the chicken well and stuff with thyme. Roast upside down for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn breast side up and roast for a further 15 minutes. Bring the stock to the boil.
Turn the oven down to 170 degrees/gas three. Add the peas and lettuce to the chicken, then add the stock. Cover with foil, return to the oven and braise for 40 minutes, basting every 15 minutes.
Carve the chicken and move it to a warm serving plate with the vegetables. Cover with the foil and keep warm. Skim any fat off the stock and reduce to half the volume. Turn the heat right down. Whisk the eggs and cream together and stir into the stock. Allow to thicken but do not overheat, as the eggs will scramble. Season with lemon juice and salt, pour over the chicken and serve.
BRAISED PEAS, ARTICHOKES AND SAGE
4 artichokes
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
12-15 sage leaves
1 tbsp chopped parsley
200g frozen peas
juice of 1 lemon
Cut the top half off the artichokes and remove the stem. Gently drop them into a saucepan of boiling salted water and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until a few of the bottom leaves come out easily. Remove, place upside down on a kitchen towel and allow to cool.
Remove the leaves and the choke - the hairy arrangement under the leaves - which leaves you with the heart. Slice thinly, discarding the tough core. Saute the onion in three tablespoons of olive oil for 20 minutes, without colouring. Add the garlic, sage, parsley, artichokes and peas and four more tablespoons of olive oil. Simmer gently until the peas are just tender. Squeeze the lemon juice over, check seasoning and serve.
LINGUINE WITH FRESH BROAD BEANS, PANCETTA AND SPRING HERBS
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
olive oil
120g pancetta (or unsmoked streaky bacon) in slices
500g shelled and peeled broad beans
sprig of thyme
500g linguine or spaghetti
3 tbsp grated pecorino or Parmesan
1 dessertspoon each chopped parsley, chervil and dill
Lightly saute the shallots in two tablespoons of olive oil for 10 minutes, without colouring. Cut the pancetta into cubes and add this to the oil, turning the heat up slightly and coating well in the oil.
Add the broad beans, thyme, a seasoning of salt and pepper and six tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer until the beans are just tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water.
When it is just cooked, drain and toss with the cheese, then mix in the beans and pancetta. Sprinkle with the herbs and serve with a little extra cheese in bowls.