Name: French-Style Braised Peas and Lettuce
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons cut into ¼-inch pieces and chilled; 2 shallots, chopped; 1 pound frozen petite peas; 1 romaine heart (6 ounces), quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces; ⅓ cup chicken broth; ¾ teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon sugar

Why This Recipe Works

For this recipe, we were inspired by petits pois à la Française, a typical French dish made by braising peas with lettuce and aromatics. To begin, we built a flavor base using shallots, butter, and bacon. Many recipes use fresh peas, but for a version you can make year-round, we opted to use frozen petite peas (which are sweeter than standard frozen peas). Romaine was an ideal choice for a green because it kept some crunch even after braising. Finally, we finished the dish with a little more butter, which added some body to the sauce remaining in the pan after braising.

Before You Begin

There’s no need to thaw the peas for this recipe. For a vegetarian dish, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth and omit the bacon; increase the salt to 1 teaspoon.

Instructions

Cook 2 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces, and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is beginning to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add 2 chopped shallots and cook until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes.

Stir in 1 pound frozen petite peas; 1 romaine lettuce heart, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces; ⅓ cup chicken broth; ¾ teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; and ½ teaspoon sugar. Cover and cook until peas and lettuce are tender, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and fold in remaining 6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces, until melted and mixture has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.