You may recall that a couple of years back I decided to deep-fry some broad bean pods instead of tossing them on to the compost – and very delicious they were too. Well I'm still on my Love Food Hate Waste campaign and I think that if you love food and shopping and growing then it's natural not to want to waste a thing. If you have nice young peas in their pods, the pods themselves will make great crispy snacks and you will get more out of the pods than the actual peas themselves. If you wish, you can also spice up the flour with some ground cumin or paprika.
A couple of handfuls of pea pods, shelled
120-150g self-raising flour (preferably Doves Farm gluten-free)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml milk
Vegetable or corn oil for deep frying
Cornish sea salt for sprinkling
For the mayonnaise
50g well-cooked peas
10-12 mint leaves, washed
3-4tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
First, make the mayonnaise. Blend the peas and mint in a liquidiser with a little water until it's smooth. Mix with enough of the mayonnaise to taste; season.
Season the flour well and add the suggested spices above if you wish. Preheat about 8cm of oil to 160-180C in a large thick-bottomed saucepan or electric deep-fat fryer.
Have three bowls ready, one for the seasoned flour, one for the milk and the third for the finished pea pods. Coat the pods in the flour, shaking off any excess, then pass them through the milk and again through the flour.
Deep fry in batches, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until lightly coloured and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon on to some kitchen paper and sprinkle with Cornish sea salt and serve immediately with the mayonnaise.
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