Why it works: Peas and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 31% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,928 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
To Boil Green Peas
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Shell and wash the peas.
Boil and serve
Put them in a stew-pan with plenty of boiling water.
Add salt and sugar.
Boil for 20 minutes until tender; longer if peas are old.
Drain in a colander and serve immediately.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Peas + sugartop 31% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,928 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Green peas
- Form the main body of the dish, cooking down to a tender texture.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the peas so their natural flavour comes through.
- Powdered white sugar
- Adds a touch of sweetness that balances the savoury salt.
The step that matters
Boil until tender. Peas that are old or undercooked stay firm and starchy, while overcooking turns them mushy. Checking for tenderness rather than relying only on the clock gives the best texture.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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