Half A Pint Of Mushy Pea? (Tesco Value Mushy Peas)

Member Name: Emmald

Product:	Tesco Value Mushy Peas
Date:	31/03/09 (275 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Just so good with freshly fried fish and chips

Disadvantages: None

The Other Half will not entertain the idea of Mushy peas, as far as he is concerned they simply don't exist, but I enjoy them especially alongside a good helping of freshly fried cod and chips.
I live in an area where mushy peas are very popular, when I was first introduced to the green `sludgy` peas I could hardly bear to look at them, let alone taste them.
But slowly curiosity got the better of me and I was drawn to taste one of our popular local delicacies.
Now I am a past master, not only do I enjoy them and regularly buy myself a tin from Tesco I can manage to make a half decent pot of mushy peas myself using dried peas and soaking them overnight before I cook them.

A 300g tin of Tesco Value mushy peas are certainly cheap and cheerful at 15p, there is also another Tesco brand that comes in at 27p a can and then you move onto the more expensive but well known brand names like Lockwood's or Harry Ramsdens.

An article on the BBC Good Food blog talks of mushy peas lacking sophistication! Well they may not be at the top of Heston Blumenthals list of things to blowtorch but they are still a popular regional dish. An interesting comment by a reader of the blog refers to the mushy peas being served as part of Sunday lunch. I know for a fact that many of the local Derbyshire pubs serve mushy peas, mint sauce and hunks of bread to their eagerly waiting darts and domino teams.
Every October they hold the annual `Goose Fair` in Nottingham and to celebrate in style a local brewery concocted a mushy pea ale, what a lethal combination that must have been!

Tesco Value mushy peas are in the expected red white and blue value labelling, the recyclable can doesn't have a ring pull. Open the tin and the contents look rather unappetising.
The peas look olive green and give the impression that they may have been regurgitated!
Ohhhh I'm not blowing Tesco`s trumpet here!
Scoop the peas out of the can, put them into a saucepan, and notice the floury texture. Among the slurry you will be able to clearly pick out the pea shells that float about in the pea `innards`.
Microwave the peas if you prefer but I find that they tend to heat better in a small saucepan.

So we have hot peas, what do we need next?
A portion of fish and chips is just the ticket. Serve the mushy peas as you would any other peas, at the side of the fish and chips. The peas don't have a strong smell or even a very noticeable taste but if you add salt and vinegar to your plate the whole dish comes alive. The hot moist floury peas taste delicious once the vinegar hits them. They need to be heaped on top of a forkful of fish and chips, so that the three flavours are combined.
Tesco value mushy peas are rehydrated processed marrow fat peas, water, sugar, salt, mint extract and tartrazine green colouring.
100 g provides 70 calories, 4.4g protein, 11.7g carbohydrate, 1.5g sugars, 0.2 fat, 2.7g fibre and 0.2g salt.

Mushy peas are a much appreciated traditional food, mushy pea fritters are very popular too.
The Tesco Value mushy peas are fine, I thoroughly enjoy them and at 15p a tin I can afford to enjoy them!

Summary: A good regional dish that everyone should try.