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Sweet Peas, Bacon and Mascarpone

Source of Recipe

"Southern Living: A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen"


Recipe Introduction

"As a kid, I remember the few times Mama went out of town on a 'girl's trip' with Ms. Jamie and Ms. Emily, aka my 'other' moms. Before leaving, Mama would whip up a casserole or two. Without fail, once those casseroles were devoured, we'd get in Dad's truck and head off to the grocery store to stock up on provisions - usually a box of brownies, ice cream, bread, eggs, milk, and a few cans of Le Sueur sweet peas. The Le Sueur peas were the side dish for Dad's grilled chicken. The memories of those peas as a comforting side still remain strong - I've just grown up a bit. To keep things simple, I go with frozen peas instead of the soggier version that comes from the can. I enrich the experience with creamy mascarpone cheese, while topping it all off with crispy, crunchy bacon. Trust me — even Dad will readily admit that these are better."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 hickory-smoked bacon slices, diced
â—¦ 1 shallot, minced
â—¦ ¼ cup dry white wine
â—¦ 1 (16-ounce) package frozen sweet peas, thawed
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese


Recipe

Place a skillet over medium heat 2 minutes or until hot.
Add bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon; drain bacon on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet.

Sauté shallot in hot drippings 4 minutes or until tender.
Add wine, and cook, stirring to loosen any browned bits from bottom of skillet, 30 seconds. Stir in peas, salt, and pepper, and cook 5 minutes or until peas are bright green and tender.

Fold in mascarpone cheese, and cook 1 minute or until cheese melts and mixture is creamy. Transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately.

Serves 4



Gent's Tips:
• If you have fresh green peas, by all means use them! just blanch them in some hot boiling water for a minute or so, and run them under cold water until completely cooled; then follow the recipe above.