Sweet petit pois, creamy creme fraiche, salty and savoury parmesan, a little lemon and some mint, spread on garlicky toast – the perfect spring starter. Edible flowers optional, but I love them.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
300g petit pois (frozen is completely fine)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp (heaped) creme fraiche (or more if you like things creamy)
50g parmesan cheese, grated, plus more to garnish
3 sprigs of mint, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs to garnish
Salt and pepper
Day old baguette, sliced – two slices per person
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
Method
Pop the peas in a saucepan over a low heat to gently defrost them and warm them through, stirring regularly. Once all the peas are thawed, add the lemon zest, creme fraiche and parmesan.
Put two thirds of the peas in a food processor (or use a stick blender), and blitz until smooth. Add back to the pan with the remaining whole peas, add the mint and mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the baguette slices with olive oil and toast in a hot pan until lightly charred and smokey. Rub each piece with the cut side of a piece of garlic, then pile on your crushed peas. Scatter some shaved parmesan, mint leaves and edible flowers on top and drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
