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On pease porridge and mushy peas

15/9/2015

23 Comments

 
Mushy peas - a British tradition
Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold. Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old.
                                                                                                                                  - North Country rhyme


Thanks to the playful chants of the children’s nursery rhyme, we are familiar with the term ‘pease porridge’, but do most of us really know what this is? A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition (Oxford University Press) explains pease porridge as: ‘An [English] dish prepared from dried peas which are soaked, boiled, mashed, and sieved, traditionally served with baked ham’.

In fact, pease porridge is one of the oldest known dishes in the English culinary repertoire. Mushy peas, and indeed peas generally, were on the menu in many of the cafes and pubs we visited across the UK. It seems to me that one either loves them or hates them. I quite enjoy mushy peas, whereas my County Durham born Peter says a firm ‘no thank you’.

While modern recipes call for the use of dried split peas, pease porridge was originally made from dried peas still in their shells. According to Theodora Fitzgibbon in A Taste of London (J.M. Dent & Sons, 1973), ‘By the nineteenth century [the dish] was known as ‘pease pudding’ and was sold hot by street traders, from a heavy tin pot wrapped around with a thick cloth to retain the heat.’

There are numerous receipts for pease porridge or pudding, with variations ranging from plain mashed peas to the full-on slow cooked pudding version. Of the latter, one of the simplest comes from the late Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright in Two Fat Ladies (ABC Books, 1997). In an introduction to the recipe (which I’ve reproduced below), Clarissa wrote ‘I love pease pudding with ham or boiled bacon or indeed any old thing.  It is as old as our history.’  As the nursery rhyme indicates, leftover pease pudding can be fried and eaten cold.

Other fresher versions of mushy peas include a quick ‘mush’ of cooked frozen peas, which are served atop a lamb back strap with pine nuts and Persian feta (curiously, my Peter actually enjoys them served this way). I love Jamie Oliver’s fresh and simple minted mushy peas. For this you cook a medium-sized potato, as well as cooking a 500g bag of frozen peas. Drain, and then combine the two in a food processor with half a bunch of fresh mint. Whizz to a puree, and then season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

I’ll be writing more about peas in an upcoming article and sharing fresh and delicious recipes for dishes inspired by our travels, so if peas are a favourite food for you, please stay tuned.

PEASE PUDDING – A LA TWO FAT LADIES
1.1kg split peas, soaked overnight
25g butter
2 free-range egg yolks
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Tie the peas loosely in a muslin cloth and boil in a pan with ham stock for one and a half hours.  Remove the bag from the pan and press the peas through a sieve or mouli.  Return to a pan. Dry the mixture over a gentle heat until it is thick. Stir in the butter and egg yolks. Then season well with salt and pepper, before serving with fish and chips, fish pie, roast meat or grilled steak.

Fish pie with mushy peas a la Cornwall
Mushy peas served with fish pie and salad in a Cornwall bistro

Tell me dear readers, where do you stand on the topic of mushy peas? And are peas a favourite food for you? 
23 Comments
Jennifer @Milk and Honey link
14/9/2015 07:26:28 pm

I love mushy peas. I grew up eating them (I'm Lancashire born). My mum used Blue Boiling Peas, as do I. Leftover mushy peas mixed with leftover mashed potatoes, fried until they get a golden crust was our bubble and squeak.

Reply
Lizzy
14/9/2015 07:31:50 pm

There you go, Jennifer... I had no idea you were born overseas! xx

Reply
Zsuzsa link
15/9/2015 12:55:17 am

I used to sing it with my grand kids not knowing what pease porridge was. :-) Now I know! Look there is my chicken pie! ;-)

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Laura (Tutti Dolci) link
15/9/2015 01:42:41 am

I do like peas but mushy peas are not my favorite…I prefer them lightly steamed!

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Krista Bjorn link
15/9/2015 05:07:13 am

How fun to learn more about the history of mushy peas. :-) I'm quite fond of them, and am delighted by your version with feta. Yum!

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Mandy link
15/9/2015 09:33:11 am

Will definitely be trying your recipe for mush peas Lizzy. My Pete will love me a little extra as the last time we enjoyed mushy peas was when we were in the London over 6 years ago!
Have a happy day.
:-) Mandy xo

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Amanda link
15/9/2015 09:47:44 am

To be honest, I've never really embraced the whole mushy peas thing. I don't actually hate it - just don't love it either.

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e / dig in hobart link
15/9/2015 06:22:00 pm

I love green peas and eat them many times a week in the winter time when I don't have my own from the garden. I love their sweet vibrant greenness!

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Eha
15/9/2015 08:46:59 pm

Oh bless you for remembering the fun but also the practicality of 'Two Fat Ladies' - just loved them and miss them but time takes its toll. Now I am basically not a pea-lover and the few times I have had 'mushy peas' [hmm, daresay you have heard of the first ever 'food truck' in Sydney!] I have been a tad 'scornful' . . . now, instead of going the 'long route' perchance frozen peas treated the same way would do . . . ? And I DO love your modernization!!

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Liz link
15/9/2015 09:52:45 pm

You're right. I had no idea what mushy peas were. And never did I expect them to look so tasty!!! I think the fresh version sounds lovely.

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Hotly Spiced link
15/9/2015 11:19:48 pm

I know the rhyme but I never really thought about what exactly pease porridge was. I did know it was British! It looks a lot better than it sounds. I can see it would go well with fish pie xx

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Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella link
16/9/2015 12:07:34 am

So interesting! I remember that rhyme from childhood. I thought it was a kid's way of saying please porridge like from Oliver Twist although I wasn't sure why it needed to be nine days old! :)

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Tandy | Lavender and Lime link
16/9/2015 06:27:23 am

Try as much as I can, split peas and lentils are the one 'food group' I cannot eat. We had mushy peas in Scotland which I tasted just because they were served to me :)

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Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts link
16/9/2015 10:53:24 pm

"Fish and chips, mushy peas, bread and butter and a mug of tea" All said in a very strong Yorkshire accent. Memories of my Ganddad!

Mushy peas with fish and chips is the best. Straight from the little polystyrene pots that you get at the chippy. It is up there with chip shop curry sauce for dipping your chips in.

I love mushy peas with grilled gammon and thick cut chips.
I have never added egg to mine, I bet that makes them beautifully rich.
Yum :-)

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Maureen | Orgasmic Chef link
17/9/2015 10:21:57 pm

I've had this with split peas but I much prefer it made with frozen peas. Yours looks much better than the one I tasted. :)

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Gerlinde @ Sunnycovechef link
18/9/2015 12:10:46 pm

I never had mushy peas before and they are selling peas at the farmers market. I have to try it, it looks good.

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Andrea
18/9/2015 07:04:30 pm

I love mushy peas Liz, as does my mum and dad who were born in England! We had a trip back to the UK a few years ago, and I introduced my husband to them , he wasn't a fan, however I've loved this post as it is evocative of loving memories xx

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Nancy | Plus Ate Six link
19/9/2015 05:35:33 am

I'm from Manchester originally and fish and chips is not complete without a side of mushy peas. And chips have to be covered either in gravy or curry sauce.

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David link
19/9/2015 09:29:39 am

i have never had pease porridge but it sounds like something we'd like - such comfort food from our ancestors! Thanks for the history in this, too!

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Laraine Barker link
14/5/2017 12:43:33 am

Having been born in New Zealand, I never tasted either pease pudding or mushy peas until I was required to make them for my husband (along with Yorkshire pudding, which I also never had before). We have the pease pudding with boiled ham or pickled pork. I cook the pease pudding first (in a small slow cooker) and once I've added the egg, butter and seasoning, I tie it in a cloth and put it in the bigger slow cooker with the meat (along with brown sugar, black peppercorns, an onion studded clove and a couple of bay leaves. My MIL served the pudding and meat with curry sauce, so that's what I do. It's not traditional but it goes well with both. For mushy peas you need dried marrowfat peas, and I had a bit of a job finding these in NZ. But I succeeded. I personally like mushy peas more than peas pudding, and all I add to that is some salt and butter. Therefore, perhaps marrowfat peas have more flavour than split yellow peas?

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michael hawkins
18/5/2021 02:16:27 pm

Pease pudding and mushy peas are two completely different items/ Pease pudding is made with yellow split peas and mushy peas are boiled marrowfat peas

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Liz (author)
18/5/2021 08:05:08 pm

Ah yes, you are correct. Thank you.

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Laraine link
19/5/2021 02:59:51 pm

I prefer green split peas to make my pease pudding, Michael. We haven't had mushy peas for a while because I
I'm finding it harder to get marrowfat peas. All the ones grown here are exported! (So what's new, Laraine?)

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