Why it works: Peas and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,887 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
To Boil Green Peas
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Shell the peas just before boiling.
Wash and drain the peas in a colander.
Boil and serve
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil.
Add the peas and boil uncovered until tender, about 15 to 25 minutes.
Drain the peas well and serve immediately with melted butter.
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 + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,887 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Green peas
- Form the dish's main body; tenderness develops as they cook in boiling water.
- Melted butter
- Adds fat and richness, coating the peas for a smoother mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Add the peas and boil uncovered until tender. Peas must cook long enough to soften fully, but overcooking turns them mushy and dull in colour. Check for tenderness rather than relying only on the time range, since freshness and pea size vary.
“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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