The first time I had minty mushy peas was at a pub in Sydney. Served alongside a beefy pot pie, the combo of mint and peas was bright and just a tiny bit sweet, making it a perfect match for the rich sauce in the pie. But the name just put a damper on the whole affair. Is anything mushy good? Meh. So, we’re changing it up and calling one my favorite spring side dishes Minty Smashed Peas.
The original also teetered on the edge of pea paste, so I use a potato masher instead of a food processor to leave the peas identifable. There’s no big a-ha here, it’s more like a, “Why didn’t I think of that sooner?” in the form of a bag of frozen peas, mint, green onions and butter. My one tweak is to add the mint at the end, rather than the beginning so it doesn’t turn black. It’s a spring lifesaver when you’re waiting for the fresh peas to come in and it’s another side dish done in 15 minutes or less.