Pea puree
17 Jan 2017
If you try to use fresh produce as much as possible, you may squirm at the idea of frozen vegetables, but don't dismiss frozen peas. They're flash-frozen at the peak of their ripeness, halting the sugar-starch conversion process and can be surprisingly good in quality.
Pea Puree 3 (5/27/17)
This is the third and current iteration of pea puree I use. Unsatisfied with the texture and color of previous attempts, this version uses less than half the water of the previous version (20% by weight, compared to 50%), as well as adding increasing the proportion of xanthan gum (0.25%, compared to 0.1%) and adding sodium bisulfite and ice to preserve the bright green color.
Click for larger image
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Ingredients
200g frozen peas
0.5g xanthan gum (0.25% pea weight)
0.2g sodium bisulfite (0.1% pea weight)
1 ice cube
Salt
Rice vinegar
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add peas and blanch until bright green and softened, about 1 minute.
- Remove peas with a slotted spoon to a tray, reserving the cooking water. Let the peas cool for several minutes.
- Transfer the peas to a blender and add 40g of the cooking water (20% pea weight), the xanthan gum, sodium bisulfite, salt to taste (~ 1g), rice vinegar to taste (~ 10g), and the ice cube.
- Blend extremely thoroughly, adjust seasoning if necessary, strain into a container or squeeze bottle and chill until needed.
Pea Puree 2 (1/17/17)
(This is an old version kept for posterity; for best results try Pea Puree 3)
This version of the puree eschews fat such as creme fraiche, butter, or oil to add body and richness, and instead uses xanthan gum as a thickener and stabilizer, leaving the pea flavor as pure as possible.
Click for larger image
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Ingredients
207g frozen peas
0.21g xanthan gum (0.25% pea weight)
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Bring salted water to boil in a pot, then add peas and blanch until bright green and softened, about 1 minute. Strain peas, reserving cooking liquid.
- Add peas to blender with 103g cooking liquid (50% pea weight), along with lemon juice/salt/pepper to taste, and blend thoroughly until smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a container and chill until needed.
Pea Puree 1 (8/2/16)
(This is an old version kept for posterity; for best results try Pea Puree 3)
This is the very first version I made for Blini, Scallops, Salmon. It uses creme fraiche to add some richness, and uses cornstarch as a thickener. Make sure to dissolve cornstarch in water before adding to dishes, as otherwise it will form clumps.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tsp creme fraiche
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
Directions
- Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil and blanch the peas for 30 seconds.
- Drain the peas and add to a blender, along with the creme fraiche, lemon juice, garlic, and salt/pepper.
- Blend thoroughly for a minute, then strain and add to a small pot on low heat.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in equal amount water (stir thoroughly!), and mix into the puree. Stir well and let thicken, 3-5 minutes.
Looking for ways to use pea puree?
Peas, brassicas, dashi
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Scallops over pea puree, shimeji mushrooms, asparagus tips
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Avocado puree
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Duck, parsnip, carrot
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