When I was growing up in England, I knew spring had finally arrived when my grandmother started tossing young, freshly shelled peas just barely blanched in boiling water with chopped fresh mint and a generous knob of butter. I loved the pure, sweet flavor of those peas and their amazing tenderness, with just a hint of crunch. They were available for only a few short weeks, so we ate them almost every day until we could no longer find them at the store.

快进了几十年。现在我是纽约的厨师，现在没有太大的改变。5月，当绿豌豆豆荚开始出现在当地市场上时，我每周购买几次磅，所以我不会错过这种罕见的春季享受。And while I admit that shelling all those peas isn’t my favorite activity, having lots of fresh, sweet, bright-green peas at hand to make tasty side dishes or to toss in salads or pastas is the ultimate indulgence of the season—and more than enough reward for a little time spent shelling.

您需要了解的有关购买和存储新鲜豌豆的知识

选择小的，非常新鲜的豌豆。For best flavor, choose small peas, which are younger, sweeter, and more tender than large ones, and make sure they’re as fresh as possible. Once picked, peas’ high sugar content changes, causing them to lose much of their sweetness and become starchy and dull. You know peas are fresh when their pods are firm and green, so avoid any that are yellowing or wilting. Go for medium pods rather than large, thick-skinned ones, which are more mature and contain larger, tougher peas. Break open a pod and check the peas inside. They should be small, bright green, and firm; if you taste one, it should be tender and sweet.

如果您发现的只是大的成熟豌豆，请选择冷冻的豌豆。成熟的豌豆不像年轻人那样柔软和甜美，而且通用性较低。他们需要更长，更慢的烹饪，我发现他们的质地更牢固，只有在炖菜和炖中效果很好。

Use them quickly or freeze them.豌豆没有太多的保质期，所以我不建议将它们存放在豆荚或炮弹中 - 很长时间。将豆荚存放在塑料袋中，在冰箱的酥脆抽屉中，并在几天之内使用。一旦被炮击，储存豌豆的最佳方法是冻结它们。首先将它们在沸腾的盐水中涂一两分钟，然后在冰水浴中将其震惊，直到冷却，以帮助保持其鲜艳的颜色。排干并用拉链袋将它们冷冻。他们将保留五到六个月。

我也喜欢豌豆（除了甜美的味道），因为它们只需要几分钟即可烹饪，尤其是当它们非常新鲜和年轻时，因此它们是快速夜间菜肴的理想选择。实际上，保持其甜味和亮绿色的秘诀是尽可能少地烹饪它们，足以使它们变软。更重要的是，豌豆几乎适合任何烹饪方法，从沸腾，蒸熟到炒，炒和快速锻炼。您可以使他们成为配菜的明星，就像我快速炖的豌豆，将它们切成一个soup, add them to a stew, or briefly blanch them and toss them in risottos or面食。当它们小而温柔时，它们也很棒salads。

Peas’ mild sweetness pairs well with many different flavors. Cured meats like bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, smoked ham, and chorizo work wonderfully with peas, as their pronounced saltiness complements peas’ gentle flavor. Fresh mint is also a classic flavor partner, bringing peas to life in an instant. But I also like pairing peas with other fresh spring herbs such as basil, chervil, chives, dill, and tarragon. Peas are a natural with onions, scallions, and other alliums, and they pair well with other spring vegetables like asparagus, new potatoes, carrots, and fava beans. When I cook peas as a side dish, I serve them with chicken, lamb, or duck and with any kind of fish, especially cod, salmon, and扇贝。

Great tips for working with peas:

• 在捏中，使用冷冻豌豆。If you can’t find good fresh peas or you crave peas when the season’s over, frozen peas are a terrific alternative. They’re usually picked when they’re young and tender and immediately frozen, so they will often taste sweeter than fresh peas that have been hanging around for too long. You can use frozen peas in all these recipes if sweet fresh ones aren’t available.
• 购买新鲜豌豆时，请记住豆荚中的1磅豌豆产生约6盎司（1杯）被炮弹的豌豆。
• Don’t throw those pods away—make broth.After you’ve shelled all those peas, save the empty pods for making a simple pea broth, which you can use to enhance the flavor of soups, stews, and braises, including the ones here. To make the broth, put the pods in a large pot and cover with water by at least 1 inch. Add a pinch of salt and a roughly chopped onion. Simmer for about 25 minutes, strain, and discard the pods. The broth will keep for two days in the refrigerator and for about a month in the freezer.

贝壳很容易

好的，我承认：贝壳豌豆有点乏味，但这很容易且值得每一秒钟。为此，请卸下吊舱的茎端，从接缝处剥离丝状纤维，撬开豆荚，然后沿着内部抬起拇指以脱离豌豆。