farm
This recipe was shared by Heather at The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe, which is an adjusted version of this recipe.
Seared Sugar Snap Peas w/ Green Garlic Aioli
Ingredients for Aioli:
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 farm fresh egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons green garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground red chile
- ½ cup olive oil or neutral oil of your choice
Ingredients for Seared Sugar Snap Peas:
- 1 pound sugar snap peas, rinse, remove and discard the top and string from each pod
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, when serving
Preparation:
- In a small bowl, place the diced shallot and lemon juice and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, add the egg yolk, green garlic, salt, pepper and, if using, the ground red chile.
- Turn on the machine and blend well.
- While the machine is running, slowly drizzle in the oil, drop by drop at first, and then in a steady stream, until aioli is thickened and smooth. Gently mix in the shallot-lemon juice mixture and then taste for seasoning, adding a bit more salt and/or pepper, if needed.
- In a cast iron skillet or carbon steel skillet, place over high heat and allow the pan to get screaming hot.
- When the pan is super hot and smoking, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, lower the heat to medium-high and drop in the peas. Stir to coat the peas with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Allow the peas to sear until they get gorgeous black spots. This will take 1-3 minutes, tossing occasionally. Be careful not to overcook the peas, as you want them to remain a little crunchy. Taste one to make sure it’s cooked the way you like it.
- Once the peas begin to blister in spots and their bright green color mellows a bit, turn off the heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and toss to coat.
- Liberally spoon or splash a few tablespoons of aioli on a serving plate, top with the seared sugar snap peas and drizzle with more aioli. Dust with Maldon salt and more freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
