Italian Pea Pottage Recipes

ITALIAN PEAS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add frozen peas, and stir in stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes.

ITALIAN PEAS

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic, cook about 5 minutes until starting to brown just slightly.
• Add peas, season with salt, pepper, a pinch of parsley and a pinch of Italian seasoning. Cover and cook until the peas are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how you like them done. I don't like mine mushy so I just cook them about 10 minutes.
• When you serve them, sprinkle the cheese over top.

ITALIAN PEA POTTAGE

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes, or until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, cut into small pieces, and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the stock, peas, bacon pieces, and 2 cups of water, and simmer for 1 hour, skimming away any impurities that rise to the top. Add the pepper, salt, and aniseed and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and duck, and serve immediately.
• Original recipe from The Accomplisht Cook, 1660:
• Boil green pease with some strong broth, and interlarded bacon cut into slices; the pease being boiled, put to them some chopped parsley, pepper, anniseed, and strain some of the pease to thicken the broth; give it a walm [warm it] and serve it on sippets, with boiled chickens, pigeons, kids, or lambs-heads, mutton, duck, mallard, or any poultry. Sometimes for variety you may thicken the broth with eggs.

ITALIAN-STYLE PEAS

Steps:

• In a nonstick skillet, saute onion and ham in oil until onion is tender. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; cover and cook until peas are tender.

PANELLE (SICILIAN CHICKPEA FRITTERS)

Steps:

• Place chickpea flour and some salt in a large saucepan over low heat. Pour in water, a little at a time, while whisking to prevent lumps.
• Once mixture is smooth and creamy, increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mix starts separating from the sides of the pan.
• Add parsley and a bit of pepper. Adjust salt if needed.
• Pour chickpea mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Spread evenly to form a 1 1/2 inch thick layer. Refrigerate until mixture has hardened, at least 30 minutes.
• Slice chickpea mixture into 1 1/2- x 2-inch rectangles.
• Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot until 250 degrees F (120 degrees F). Drop a few rectangles at a time into the hot oil and deep fry until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

PEASE POTTAGE

Steps:

• Place peas in a bowl and add water to cover by 3 inches.
• Leave overnight for cooking in the morning or soak all day to cook for dinner.
• Drain peas and discard water.
• Place peas and bacon in a large pot and add 8 cups fresh water.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat down to gently simmer for 2 hours or until peas are soft and easily mashed.
• Add water if necessary to keep from burning.
• Serve with pilot crackers (the modern equivalent of ship's biscuit) and beer for a true shipboard meal.

POTAGE SAINT-GERMAIN

Steps:

• Make the croutons:
• In a bowl drizzle the bread cubes with the butter, tossing them to coat them well, and in a shallow baking dish bake them in a preheated 350°F. oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and crisp. Season the croutons with salt. The croutons may be made 1 day in advance and kept in an airtight container.
• Make the soup:
• In a large saucepan cook the leeks in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, add the broth and 2 cups water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the peas and the lettuce and simmer the mixture, covered partially, for 10 minutes, or until the peas are tender. Stir in the mint and in a blender or food processor purée the soup in batches. The soup may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Return the soup to the pan, season it with salt and pepper, and reheat it over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is hot.
• In a small bowl beat the cream until it is thickened slightly but still pourable and season it with salt. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle drops of the cream on each serving, and draw a skewer or knife through the drops, forming decorative patterns. Serve the soup with the croutons.