[…] they steam inside while the batter turns golden, […] have a crisp, snappy bite and the sweetness comes to the fore […]
Snap peas are like a beacon of spring and a whole bag of them feels so lucky it calls for dropping everything and seizing the moment. For some that may mean crunching through them straight from the colander they were rinsed in or, for those who need the green edge taken off (like Brandon), a stovetop supper.
Coating the peas in batter and deep-frying gives them a crisp coat that’s more like a thick puffer jacket than a gossamer silk slip. And because they steam inside while the batter turns golden, they still look bright, have a crisp, snappy bite and the sweetness comes to the fore while the raw quality is gone.
It’s more like an impromptu snack than a meal but any thoughts of what else to serve or setting a table just starts moving it further and further away from celebrating a seasonal marker in time. So, this is best eaten standing next to the hob, getting the jacketed peas while they’re still hot.
Thinking about how to downplay ‘green’ as a flavour but emphasise it as a colour, led to the sorrel mayonnaise. The sour of sorrel leaves creates a delicious push-pull with the sweetness of the peas, and while squeezing a lemon over them would turn their coats soggy, this has all the acidity minus the juice.
Making mayonnaise by hand creates a more pleasing texture, but when the priority is a fully integrated green colour, a handheld stick blender works beautifully. Failing that, just pound the sorrel leaves with sea salt in a mortar and pestle until as smooth as possible before adding.
The mayonnaise also closes the circle by using up the egg yolk, while the white is whisked and folded into the batter to loosen and lighten it. It could be served, instead, with a platter of freshly harvested French breakfast radishes, snap peas, and cos lettuce hearts for dipping. Or spread on a sandwich.
The batter has Italian origins and is a good one to remember depending on the texture you’re after. When it’s coating something delicate, like a courgette flower, for example, the ingredient becomes like a framework for the batter which, once cooked, is more like a fritter.
Most important for the eating experience is preparing the snap peas. Down the one side there’s a short length of what looks like cotton thread and down the other there’s a length of what looks like tape. If they’re left on (with the stalk) the jacket pulls off leaving the snap pea behind.
Here’s a recap of why we love this:
The peas steam in the batter to become sweeter while keeping their crunch and colour
Sorrel mayonnaise offers a lemony flavour without having to squeeze over a lemon and risk turning the batter soggy
It’s a neat use of one egg: the white for the batter, the yolk for the mayo
The veggies weathered the storm and there are peas available from Oranjezicht City Farm this week, which is where these snap pea supermodels (and the sorrel) came from. To join the OZCF WhatsApp group and receive a message at the beginning of each week sharing what is available, click here.
Sorrel mayonnaise
Pull the leaves off the stems of one bunch of sorrel leaves, until there are enough to fill a half cup measure, then chop, wash and drain. Place a handheld blender jug on a damp, folded cloth and add one egg yolk (save the white for the batter), the sorrel leaves and a good pinch of sea salt. Blend briefly to combine, then continue blending while pouring in a thin, steady stream of 150ml grapeseed oil. Taste and add more sea salt if necessary.
Here we use a blender for even colour, but to make the mayonnaise by hand, pound the sorrel leaves in a mortar and pestle with sea salt flakes until smooth before adding. For the hand-whisked mayonnaise method, click here.
The peas
Rinse 200g snap peas in a colander and leave to drain. Remove the two threads running down either side of each pea. Using the stalk as leverage, pull down to remove the wider thread that looks like a short length of tape. Find the top of the thread on the other side that looks like a short length of cotton thread and remove that too. Spread out the prepared peas on a clean tea towel.
The batter
Sift 75g stoneground cake flour into a shallow bowl, make a well, stir in 30ml extra virgin olive oil and just enough water for it to come together and resemble a thick batter. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Just before heating the oil to fry, whisk one egg white until soft peaks form and gently but firmly fold into the batter until it’s well combined but none of the air is knocked out.
The frying
Place a cake rack on a baking sheet lined with a double layer of paper towel. Add vegetable oil to a small to medium pot so it come a third of the way up the side of the pot. Heat the oil to 180°C or until batter dropped into the oil starts browning almost immediately.
Just before frying, place a few peas in the batter, and turn gently using two forks. Cook the peas in batches. there should be some space around each pea as it cooks and the pot shouldn’t be overcrowded. Should any batter drop off into the oil, remove before adding a new batch of peas.
make sure each pea is well coated but allow any excess to drop off back into the batter before slipping each one into the hot oil. Cook, flipping over once, for a few minutes or until golden. Remove and transfer to the cake rack. Eat soon after cooking, swiping the battered, fried snap pea through the sorrel mayonnaise.