Green pease with orange sauce

Mrs. Lane’s Green pease with orange sauce from 365 Orange Recipes. Note the traditional, not to say archaic in American terms, spelling of ‘pease,’ even for the time, during 1909, that the book appeared. It is not quite clear whether whether Mrs. Lane intends her reader to cook fresh or dried peas, but the date for the recipe, 15 March, would be pushing the season for something fresh, and ‘pease’ in British usage commonly referred to dried split peas so she may have meant them. The recipe then requires constant attention because it calls for so little liquid.

In any event the method works either for fresh peas or for making what amounts to a recognizably traditional Pease pudding flavored with citrus. The typically concise recipe from Mrs. Lane, quoted in full:

“Slice 1 orange without peeling but reject the ends and the seeds; place in a saucepan with green pease, add water to barely cover and 1 tablespoonful of butter to each cupful of pease, boil until the pease are tender, adding water if necessary to prevent burning but no more. When the pease are tender remove the orange slices, thicken with a little flour and serve hot.” (Lane 32-33)

Notes:

-You will of course need to season your pease with salt and pepper.

-To give the pease more of an orange tincture, peel the fruit, juice it, throw both peel and juice into the pan and otherwise follow the lead of Mrs. Lane.