Canned peas cooked with bacon & lettuce

Fergus Henderson likes canned peas: “For me, tinned petits pois are among the finest things to have up your sleeve and even finer than frozen peas.” This recipe is based on his. Two generous portions.

• about 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 sliced shallots
• some chopped bacon
• a can of peas, drained of all but a little liquid
• 3 heads little gem lettuce stripped of their flimsy outer leaves

1. Melt the butter on medium head and soften the shallots.
2. Add the bacon and fry it until it begins to crisp.
3. Stir the peas with a little of their liquid into the pan along with the lettuce.
4. Cook the mix until the lettuce barely softens and check the seasoning: You should not need salt but will want pepper.

Notes:

-Romaine is a good enough substitute for the little gem if you cannot find it.

-You could swirl another Tablespoon or so of butter into the mix at the end of the braising time.

-Henderson makes something more akin to soup by using all the liquid from the can.

-In fact he likes to eat his peas with bacon and lettuce as a soup or serve it with lamb.

-The quotation and recipe originate from a story in the Financial Times. “Kitchen cabinets,” Weekend FT (4-5 April 2015)

-According to the story, Henderson also always keeps malt vinegar and suet in his pantry, bravo.