Toss tender crisp peas with a creamy white sauce, layered with savory sautéed shallots and you’ve got an easy and delectable upgrade to a simple side dish!
Easter dinners are at times small, rather intimate affairs limited to just a few folks nestled inside your house. Or they might be large, glorious events – your house filled with family and friends while you squeeze more chairs around a crowded table. But regardless of the size of the crowd one thing is for sure at our house, there’s always plenty of food. And sides in the South are as important as the main dish. Pulling from pantry staples in our kitchen is the norm and are not limited to items sitting on the shelf – frozen fruits and vegetables can come to the rescue when you’re stumped for ideas. Peas are a spring favorite, they’re always in my freezer, and they seem a perfect side to dress up for Easter dinner.
To start, grab a bag of peas from the freezer and a handful of items from the shelves in your pantry. Begin by sautéing a thinly sliced shallot in rich olive oil. Then toss in butter and flour to make a quick roux.
Whisk in half and half and in a matter of minutes you’ve got a creamy white sauce. All you need to do now is toss in those frozen peas and you’re done!
The peas pop with their showy bright green hue, all draped in this luscious sauce. It’s a quick and easy perfectly springy side dish!
Creamed Peas with Sautéed Shallots
1 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots, about 1 large shallot
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons half and half, divided
1 pound frozen organic peas
Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan or saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are very tender and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and stir into the shallots.
Once the butter has melted stir in the flour, the kosher salt and the pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Pour in 1 cup of the half and half, stir to blend into the shallots. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the sauce smooth.
Stir the peas into the sauce, adding the additional half and half as needed to keep the sauce smooth.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally until the peas are warmed through.
Serves 4.
Creamed Peas with Sautéed Shallots
Equipment
- Sauté pan or saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots, about 1 large shallot
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons half and half, divided
- 1 pound frozen organic peas
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan or saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are very tender and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the butter and stir into the shallots. Once the butter has melted stir in the flour, the kosher salt and the pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in 1 cup of the half and half, stir to blend into the shallots. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the sauce smooth.
- Stir the peas into the sauce, adding the additional half and half as needed to keep the sauce smooth.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally until the peas are warmed through.
