The Weeknight Kitchen · A Bed for Scallops & More · Serves 4

Pea Purée

Name: Pea Purée
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 300 g frozen peas; 30 g unsalted butter; 60 ml water or vegetable stock; 3 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt; 1 g black pepper; Optional: a few fresh mint leaves, or a squeeze of lemon, or 1 tbsp cream for extra richness

A silky, sweet, vivid-green purée from a bag of frozen peas — the restaurant bed that makes seared scallops or fish look (and taste) like a plated dish.

~10 min total 5 min prep Blender method

Spoon cost

Time ●○○○○ Anytime

VegetarianGluten-Free

Servingsamounts scale to match

Units

Ingredients

Cook the peas briefly, blend them hot, and pass them through a sieve for silk. A short cook keeps the color vivid and the flavor sweet — overcooked peas go drab and starchy. Blend while hot with the butter until completely smooth (a full 1–2 minutes), then, for a true restaurant purée, push it through a fine sieve. Season boldly; a bland bed makes a bland plate.

Easier, if you like

No sieve, no problem — a powerful blender gets it plenty smooth for a weeknight; the sieve is just the last 10% of silk.
Microwave the peas right in a bowl with a splash of water, 2–3 minutes, to skip the pot entirely.

Method

Cook's notes

Frozen peas are the right choice. They're picked and frozen at peak sweetness — usually sweeter and greener than "fresh" peas that have been sitting. No need to thaw first.

Don't overcook. Peas need only a few minutes; a long boil turns them army-green and dulls the sweetness. Bright green means bright flavor.

Get the consistency right for a bed: thick enough to hold a swoosh and cradle a scallop, loose enough to spread with the back of a spoon. Adjust with a little hot water, stock, or cream.

Flavor boosts: a few mint leaves (classic with peas), lemon zest, a spoon of grated parmesan, or a small grated garlic clove blended in.

What to serve it under: seared scallops or brown-butter scallops, seared white fish, lamb, or chicken. It's also lovely spread on toast or crostini as a spring dip.

Make ahead: keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes well; reheat gently with a splash of water, stirring, so it doesn't split.

Vegetarian and gluten-free; easy to make vegan

Vegan / dairy-free: swap the butter for olive oil or a plant butter — the purée is just as silky.

Gluten-free: naturally gluten-free.