Parched Peas- rediscovering a Northern secret
Ms Sinclair shares her rediscovery of a Northern delicacy whilst in the Lake District. Be sure to check out her recipe and consider trying this healthy dish yourself!
Last summer I had the privilege of supporting our Year 12s on their Gold DofE Expedition in the Lake District. As with any proper trip to the Lakes, I spent a lot of time walking through some spectacular scenery, swimming or paddling in cool clear waters and treating myself to pots of tea and hard-earned cake.
As the time came to head back to the “Big Smoke”, the inevitable problem arose: what souvenir should I take with me? With my current campaign to try to reduce the amount of “stuff” in my life, it seemed like something edible would be the perfect solution. That meant a tour of the legendary Keswick supermarket, Booths.
Booths is a Lake District institution. Whilst from the outside it might look like any other supermarket, inside it is an emporium of delicious food and delights. The best part is that much of it is sourced locally. Touring the aisles, things seemed to leap off shelves and counters into my basket, with no thought of how on earth I would get them all home on the train.
At last I came to the dry goods section, and my eyes fell on something I had never seen before: Parched peas. This small bag of unassuming brown peas looked intriguing- the packet said they were grown in Britain, and they seemed something quite ordinary from their position nestled next to the dried marrowfat peas. Was this just something that only people in the North know about?
Further research online showed that these were in fact Carlin (Maple) Peas, and that in the North, these are traditionally boiled (“Parched”) as a snack/street food around Bonfire night. They have even been classed as a forgotten food, as people have become accustomed to using more generic pulses (e.g. chickpeas, lentils) that cannot be grown in this country.
Several months later, I finally braved “parching” them- and what a discovery! The peas produce a delicious brown, earthy “gravy”, which, with a splash of vinegar of the top is quite morish. In addition, their potential to be used as a replacement for chickpeas or puy lentils, makes them a very exciting addition to my kitchen cupboard.
Don’t believe me? Why not have a go yourself:
How to cook your own Parched Peas:
You will need:
- Carlin peas (find them here )
- Water
- Butter/Coconut oil
- Salt and pepper
- Vinegar (e.g. Malt or Cider vinegar)
- Soak the Carlin peas overnight (or at least 6 hours). Rinse and drain the peas.
- Cover with plenty of water and cook until soft (can be 1 hours on a stove top or 30 mins in a pressure cooker). The longer you cook them, the softer and mushier they will get.
- Add some butter/coconut oil, and seasoning to taste and evaporate off some water if necessary to get a thicker gravy.
- Serve hot in a mug/bowl and sprinkle with vinegar.
- Want to make them even more exciting? Try adding herbs or stock to the cooking liquid.