Petits pois à la française is a classic French way to prepare peas, braising them with some bacon, onion and lettuce. The flavors are relatively simple but incredibly delicious and this side dish goes well with a broad range of mains.
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Fresh peas are always a lovely sign of spring, I find, though I admit I often walk right on by. I love nibbling on freshly picked peas but am not so good at getting myself to cook with them.
Recently, however, I remembered about this classic French preparation and I'm so glad I did as it really is a wonderful way to enjoy them. The smokiness from the bacon and gently sweet onion add lovely flavors, but not so much that you don't get to enjoy the peas themselves.
Plus, it's really easy and versatile.
This is the kind of dish that would be perfect as a side for Easter, Sunday dinner or any meal, really. The flavors pair with pork, ham, chicken and duck, especially. They would also work well with a number of fish.
What's in French style peas?
The exact ingredients can vary, but essentially you sauté some onion and, usually, smoked bacon/lardons then add the fresh peas and braising liquid. You can use water but a little chicken stock adds that bit more flavor. Then, once the peas are cooked, season lightly before adding some torn lettuce to wilt on top.
Some recipes also add a little cream, some herbs or carrots in there as well. I've kept things relatively simple, but it's a great dish to adjust the flavors a little to taste.
For the onions, you can use spring onions, pearl onions (the little ones) or slice a smaller, fresh white onion. All will work much the same - you want to bring out their gentle sweetness rather than browning them. The lettuce is typically butter lettuce, but you can also use romaine, cos or little gem.
Can you use frozen peas?
Traditionally, this is a way of preparing fresh peas and arguably they are a little better here, but frozen peas will certainly work. Just defrost them first, and then you will probably want to reduce the braising time a little since they will cook quicker.
I would not recommend using canned peas as they will almost certainly become too soft as they are already cooked.
Petit pois à la française might sound fancy, but these French peas are really pretty easy to make, and the combination of flavors is so good. The dish has plenty of flavor, yet they also go with a range of mains. They're tasty enough I for one could enjoy them straight out of the pan. So try them soon and enjoy!
Try these other tasty vegetable side dishes:
- Greek green beans (fasolakia)
- Japanese simmered squash (kabocha no nimono)
- Sautéed French green beans (with shallot and garlic)
- Maple roasted parsnips
- Plus get more side dish recipes and French recipes in the archives.
Petits pois a la francaise - French peas
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz smoked bacon or lardons
- 4 spring onions or pearl onions
- ½ tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup shelled peas
- 2 tablespoon chicken stock or water
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- 2 lettuce leaves or a little less/more depending on size
Instructions
- If not already cut, slice the bacon into relatively thin slices. Peel the outer layer off the spring onions and trim the end. Cut the white and light green part into slices. If using pearl onions, peel and cut in half or quarters, depending on size.
- Warm the butter in a small pan/pot with a lid over a medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook a couple minutes, stirring regularly, but don't let it brown. Add the onion and cook a minute more to gently soften the onion.
- Add the peas and stock, cover the pan with the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Leave the peas to cook for around 10-15 minutes so that the liquid absorbs and the peas are cooked through. If the liquid is gone quickly, add a little more.
- Once the peas are cooked, add the salt, pepper and sugar and stir through. Tear the lettuce leaves and place over the top of the peas, cover with the lid again and cook another minutes.
- Stir through and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I've drawn on a few recipes for this including this one from Everyday French Chef and this from My Parisian Kitchen.
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Jenny
I really like the addition of wilted lettuce. I never think of lettuce as a green that can be cooked, but it adds a little something special to this dish. So yummy!
Caroline's Cooking
I know what you mean, it's not typically something you would cook but does really work here!
Beth
This recipe was such a hit here and were gone in a matter of minutes! My hubby and son kept asking for more! Definitely on the remake list!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear! It's a great way to add some lovely flavor to peas.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
This is the side dish dreams are made of! I love peas on their own but this just makes them that little bit better - and my family are more likely to eat them too! Super delicious.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear! It's a dish I really enjoy as well.
Paul M
I thought this was a very good recipe for making ordinary peas much better. I used thick cut maple smoked bacon, because that is what I had in my fridge. However, thick cut bacon is probably not the best choice for this recipe. I also used pearl onions. I could not find fresh peas, so I had to go with frozen peas that I thawed out. I also used romaine lettuce (as shown in the photo above). I would definitely make this again.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed and would make again! Yes I can see thick cut may not be the best unless you cut it into very thin strips (so kind of like lardons).
Patricia Whiteside
I saute mushrooms with the bacon and lettuce. I don't use onions.
Caroline's Cooking
There's always different ways! Onions are always good for their aromatic, gentle sweetness. I can see mushrooms fitting in there, too.