Pea Moulds

Ingredients

• 1 can canned peas
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 2/3 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• few grains cayenne
• few drops onion juice
• 1 cup white sauce
• 1/3 cup canned peas, drained and rinsed

Method

Pass the drained peas through a fine sieve to break them into a smooth pulp. This creates the base for a moulds|mould with a fine, uniform crumb — the structure depends on the fineness of the purée, not on any binder you might add later.

Fold the beaten eggs into the pea pulp along with the melted butter, salt, pepper, cayenne, and onion juice. Mix until just combined. The eggs act as a set, their proteins coagulating under heat to trap the pea particles and create a custard-like texture. The butter adds richness and carries the vegetables|vegetable flavour. This mixture should be pale green and homogeneous — any lumps will show as pockets in the finished mould.

Butter individual moulds or a single large one. Pour in the mixture without trapping air. Set the moulds in a water bath — the surrounding hot water conducts heat gently and evenly, preventing the delicate egg structure from tightening too fast and expelling liquid. Cover with buttered paper to stop a skin forming on the surface and to hold in steam. Bake at 160°C until the mould is just set through but still trembles slightly when nudged — about 25 to 35 minutes depending on the size and depth of the mould. Err on the side of undercooking. Carry-over heat will firm it further as it rests, and an overcooked pea egg|egg mould turns granular and weeps.

Warm the white sauce in a separate pan and fold through the freshly drained peas — raw or gently heated, depending on what texture you want. If the peas are soft, add them cold so they don't disintegrate; if they're firm, warm them gently for a minute.

Run a knife around the inside of the mould and turn it out onto a warm plate. The mould should slide out cleanly; if it resists, loosen it again or dip the base in hot water for a few seconds. Pour the pea and sauce around it, not over it, so the pale green surface stays visible.