I just had to try this one because it was in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." If Julia put it in the book it must be pretty awesome, right? Honestly, this one wasn't bad but it truly wasn't spectacular. As a matter of fact, it is so unspectacular that it doesn't even have a French name. Julia calls it "Frozen Peas." Really, I'm not kidding. If you don't believe me just go look at page 466. Easy to find, it's right before the recipe for "Canned Peas" on page 467.
Julia tells us that "this method of cooking frozen peas gives them the character they often lack." I will say that, although not spectacular, they did turn out better than just throwing a bowl of frozen peas into a microwave and blasting them for a couple of minutes. This was the simplest thing I've made from that cookbook so far so that was a victory! In case you're concerned about using a microwave and having your frozen peas ready in two minutes, this is a great way to extend that time to 15 or 20 minutes -- what better way to impress your family with your cooking skills? With all the steam the pan produces, and with a little banging of the pan and tossing of the peas it can really look like you're doing some fancy chef stuff.
The reality is that it all started off with some butter and minced green onions in a saucepan with chicken broth and a bit of salt and pepper. The peas were added to that and boiled for about 5 minutes with the lid on, then the lid was removed to boil off the rest of the liquid. Once enough of the liquid is gone (who likes juicy peas?), its ready to serve.
You can see the results in the bowl -- they looked like peas!! They tasted like peas!! I suppose I could have added some parsley for another shade of green but I went with the plain and simple look. I would not recommend this as a meal by itself (unless you're a member of the Peas Corps) but it was the vegetable side dish for our dinner with an appetizer, soup, and main course. You may notice in the dinner photo that I'm not following Julia's suggestions for wine pairings. We chose to have chocolate milk from our local "Oregon Dairy" market. An excellent choice!
Bon Appetit!
Glad to see that you did not microwave the peas. Remember that microwaving is actually many rapid pulses of radiation - much like your new electric meter ( Yikes !! ) - -. This process alters the DNA of the structure of your food rendering it almost useless. About 75% or more of the food value is lost every time you nuke something. We have stopped using the microwave for over two yrs. Cooking food via one of the many traditional forms available is best.