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Post by Warwick on Dec 4, 2018 10:26:25 GMT
This is a genuine question from a foreigner. I'm not taking the piss!
I've just had dinner in an old "English" pub (The Elephant & Castle) in Geelong, on the bay to the southwest of Melbourne.
I had "English-style fish and chips with mushy peas". So this prompted me to ask something about which I've often wondered?
What is the origin of your mushy peas? They are something we would never contemplate here, except in the context of an English pub. Are they the product of a clever marketing ploy from several generations ago? That is to say, you take a flawed or damaged product, highlight the flaw, and sell it as a feature. The modern equivalents would be smashed avocado, or pulled pork. In the former, you take your unsaleable squashed, damaged, bruised, or left-over avocado pieces, pulp them, called them "smashed", and charge a premium. In the later, you take the leftover and unsaleable pork trimmings and pieces too over-cooked to slice, shred them, call it "pulled", and charge a premium.
So is there a reason behind mushy peas, or is it just a way of being able to serve up peas that have been boiled within an inch of their life, and served up without any care?
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Post by richardlamsdale on Dec 4, 2018 10:53:23 GMT
I think they're quite old - dried marrowfat peas were imported to the UK from the Netherlands 100 yeas ago, so I assume they had to be soaked and boiled to make them edible, and they probably turned to mush. It's more of a Midlands / Northern England / Scotland thing. Not sure if they did the same in NL, or they ate them before they dried them. Maybe they just exported their old stock to the UK!
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Post by Warwick on Dec 4, 2018 11:19:01 GMT
Thanks Richard. That makes sense.
So the dish is the result of reconstituting peas that had been preserved for long-term storage. Where in more modern times they would have been dehydrated or frozen. Would I be right in assuming that this type of preserved pea is no longer available, but because the dish became a favourite, these days fresh, dehydrated, or frozen green peas are simply cooked to achieve the same finished result, when required?
A bit like salted butter. Prior to refrigeration, butter had to be heavily salted in order to prevent it from going rancid quickly. With the advent of domestic refrigeration, the addition of salt became unnecessary. But the saltiness had become the accepted taste of butter, so the addition of salt continues today even though it is unnecessary. You can of course buy unsalted butter, but to many of us, it doesn't taste right.
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Post by David on Dec 4, 2018 11:24:09 GMT
Definitely still available - currently have two tins on the shelf! Though when serving, mushy peas need a good sprinkling of vinegar, to finish them off.  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushy_peas |
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Post by Warwick on Dec 4, 2018 11:33:47 GMT
Canned peas. I'd forgotten about that option. I haven't seen canned peas since I was a kid. There was a big cannery not that far from where we lived. We really only bought them to take on camping trips. But dehydrated peas were preferred due to the lower weight. I can't remember what the canned ones were like, but I'd say after heating, they would be mushy. I'll bet the ones I had tonight would have just been frozen peas that the chef squashed slightly when serving up.
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on Dec 4, 2018 18:05:34 GMT
Being a Geordie I was weened on Mushy Peas and Northumberland Pies, The peas were "Steepy Peas" (Dried Peas) they were soaked over night with a Tablet I cant remember what it was called, then the peas were boiled with ( a Ham Shank or Bacon if you didn't have one) until Mushy.
Pea and Pie suppers while my parents played "Beetle" was a weekly event!
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Post by richardlamsdale on Dec 4, 2018 18:20:38 GMT
Wikipedia says you're meant to soak them in water with Baking Soda - maybe that was the Tablet, John?
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Post by Brendan69 on Dec 4, 2018 18:30:04 GMT
Being a " Midlander " I usually always have mushy peas on my chips and gravy. LOL.
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on Dec 4, 2018 18:36:38 GMT
Wikipedia says you're meant to soak them in water with Baking Soda - maybe that was the Tablet, John? Yes Richard you are correct  |
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Post by dhb5610 on Dec 4, 2018 19:53:08 GMT
Mushy peas and pork pie with mint sauce up here in sunny Yorkshire that's always a winner
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Post by Warwick on Dec 4, 2018 21:45:06 GMT
Interesting. Thanks for all the feedback. I had always just assumed that it was like the choice between boiled potato and mashed potato. You just chose to mash the peas. Now it all makes sense. We used to stock our locker at the ski lodge during summer, so we didn't have to carry as much food up for our week in the snow during the school holidays. Canned foods, powdered milk, powdered mashed potato (Deb brand), and dried peas. The brand was Surprise Peas. But I can't remember what the peas were like after reconstituting them. From memory they were just added to boiling water, not soaked overnight.
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