Recipe of the week: Sautéed snow peas with lemon and parsley

Snow peas deserve better than to just be greasy, “limp” tagalongs in our favorite Chinese takeout dishes, said Rachel Toomey Kelsey in Cook’s Illustrated. “Bringing out their sweet, grassy flavor while preserving their crisp bite” is the ideal, but it requires some care. Instead of stirring madly when you drop them in a hot pan, let them sit long enough for their sugars to caramelize—as you would when browning meat. To “kick up the color” and augment the flavor, sprinkle on not just salt and pepper but a touch of sugar too.

Sautéed snow peas with lemon and parsley

1 tbsp vegetable oil

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1 shallot, minced

1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp sugar

¾ lb snow peas, tips pulled off and strings removed

1 tsp minced fresh parsley

(Chives or tarragon can be used in place of parsley.)

Combine 1 tsp oil, shallot, and lemon zest in small bowl. Combine salt, pepper, and sugar in a second bowl.

Heat 2 tsp oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add snow peas, sprinkle with salt mixture, and cook, without stirring, 30 seconds. Stir once, then continue to cook, without stirring, 30 seconds longer. Now stirring constantly, cook peas until crisp-tender (1 to 2 minutes).

Push peas to sides of skillet; add shallot mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss to combine shallot mixture with peas. Transfer peas to bowl and stir in lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Makes four servings.