Recipe of the week: Green pea guacamole

last updated 8 January 2015

Guacamole always struck me as a classic best left alone, said Melissa Clark in The New York Times. But then I tried a guacamole at New York’s ABC Cocina that gets an “intense sweetness and chunky texture” from the addition of fresh English peas. Try this addition once, and you’ll wish you’d thought of it years ago.

½ lb fresh sweet peas, shucked
2 jalapeños
2 tbsp packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
¾ tsp salt
3 ripe avocados, mashed
2 scallions, whites only, sliced thin
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge peas into boiling water and cook until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain peas and transfer to an ice bath. Drain. Heat broiler to high and broil one jalapeño on a heatproof pan, turning until completely charred. Transfer to a small bowl, cover tightly in plastic wrap, and let sit for 15 minutes. When cool, wipe off the charred skin with a towel. Halve, seed, and devein the roasted jalapeño. Halve, seed, and mince the remaining raw jalapeño.

In a blender or food processor, purée peas (reserving 2 tbsp for garnish) with roasted jalapeño, raw jalapeño, cilantro, and ¼ tsp salt. Process until almost smooth. In medium bowl, combine avocado, scallions, lime zest, lime juice, ½ tsp salt, and the purée. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste and garnish with fresh peas, sunflower seeds, and sea salt. Serve with tortilla chips and lime wedges. Serves 6 to 8.