Both the French and the British have a version of this dish and it is, for me, the quintessential spring vegetable side. It is fresh and sweet and full of delicate seasonal flavors. Incredibly simple to make and curiously moreish.
The dish is a bright, vibrant green, enhanced in the case of the photo above by being taken through the steam coming off the dish as I plated it up.
1 lb shelled peas, as fresh as you can find them
2 little gem lettuces, washed and finely chopped, ends disgarded
1/2 bunch mint, leaves only, roughly chopped
4 Tbsps butter
Salt to taste
Place the peas in a saucepan along with 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook over low heat for 4 minutes.
Add the mint and the chopped lettuce along with the remaining butter. Stir well to combine and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until the lettuce is wilted and the peas are cooked through. Taste one, you want the outside to burst under your teeth and the inside to be tender and soft.
Add a bit of salt for flavor and you are done.