Petits pois à la française

One of the best things to eat come the springtime is fresh peas. They're so much sweeter than the frozen or tinned kind and certainly worth the effort. Especially in a traditional French dish such as petits pois à la française in which they're paired with salty chunks of smoky bacon, slightly caramelized shallots and crisp little gem lettuce.
It's a gorgeous lunch dish, but also wonderful when served next to a simple roast chicken or rack of lamb. I think I may be serving it for Easter dinner next Sunday, and I'll probably be gathering all my ingredients at the Saturday market in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Not sure what I'll make for dessert yet, but stay tuned. I'll keep you posted!
In the meantime, here's the recipe.

Petits pois à la française
Serves 4

1 kilo podded peas (about 400g cleaned)
knob of butter
8 shallots, quartered
185g smoked bacon, sliced into thick strips
175 ml good chicken stock
1 little gem lettuce, sliced into strips
fleur de sel
freshly cracked pepper

Clean your peas. Melt the knob of butter in a pan and once it starts to brown, add the shallots. Allow them to gently caramelize, tossing them around every now and then. Once they look soft and sweet (about 5 minutes), add the bacon and give that all about 2-3 minutes. Now toss in the peas along with a little salt and pepper. Give that another minute or two before adding in the stock and letting the dish cook with the lid on for 7-10 minutes. Finally, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the little gem lettuce with a bit more salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!

See how to make the recipe here: