Frozen peas path leads to unforgettable “petit pois”

The frozen pea is one of my favourite food staples. I use it so frequently; we always have a mountain stored in the freezer.

I’m not quite sure why the humble pea is so appealing. The sweetness, colour and convenience of having a vegetable so universally adaptable to cooking which requires almost no preparation, are the reasons I use them so frequently. Another often misunderstood assumption about frozen food is its perceived lack of goodness.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. A study done at UCLA found no consistent differences between fresh and frozen peas.

Surprisingly frozen peas contain a higher percentage of vitamin C than their fresh counterpart and the researchers concluded fibre and levels of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron are not significantly different between frozen and fresh. This comes about as a result of modern snap freezing techniques which retain nutrients and are finished within hours of harvesting.

It is quite old technology now, having first been perfected by none other than Clarence Birdseye himself. In the 1920s, he copied the Inuits in Alaska, who preserved their fish by freezing them quickly; meaning that large ice crystals didn’t form to damage cells and destroy the taste of the food.

Like many inventors of his era, he patented the process and became a multi-millionaire, selling his knowledge to the highest bidder.

Unfortunately, his systems were then used to process all types of foods including heat and serve meals and all sorts of products that should only be eaten fresh.

It may sound like I am some sort of industry spruiker for the frozen food industry. Don’t get me wrong, the frozen food aisles of the large supermarkets have virtually no appeal to me whatsoever. I will never cease to be amazed how problematic, time consuming and just plain poor quality “convenience foods” actually are. They are also incredibly expensive.

There could be nothing easier than boiling a pot of peas in salted water until bright green and soft, strain and place with butter and salt into a food processor and blend. Serve with a grilled lamb cutlet or some fresh fish and your meal is done.

Other quick ways I use frozen peas are in salads, soup, pasta dishes, curries and risotto.

They also make a wonderful base for smoothies (with banana and apple).

The final word on peas belongs to the French, who can at times can be a little haughty but certainly know their food. The “petit pois” I had in a restaurant in Lyon in the 80s was absolutely unforgettable.

Accompanied by bread and wine, it is a meal in itself that takes 10 minutes to prepare. Now that’s what I call convenient.