Arakás Laderós

Greek spring peas slowly braised in olive oil with spring onion, tomato, and a generous quantity of fresh dill

Origin: Greece

From the journey of Pea.

Arakás laderós is the pea's place in one of the most distinctive categories of Greek cooking: the ladera (λαδερά), the family of vegetable dishes cooked slowly in a great deal of olive oil until they are meltingly soft and the oil and the vegetable juices have married into a single rich sauce. The word ladera comes from ladi, olive oil, and the generosity of the oil is the whole point. These dishes are eaten warm or, more often, at room temperature, which allows their flavours to bloom, and they form the backbone of the Greek table during the long Orthodox fasting periods, when meat and dairy are set aside and the olive oil and the vegetable carry the meal. The pea, arakás (αρακάς), is an ancient Greek crop; the plant gave the whole of Europe its name through the Greek píson, which became the Latin pisum. Spring is its season, and arakás laderós is a dish of spring, when the first sweet peas arrive alongside the new dill and the slender spring onions. The combination is elemental and unmistakably Greek: sweet peas, sharp spring onion, a little fresh tomato for colour and acidity, and an almost reckless quantity of dill, all softened together under good olive oil until the peas are tender and the kitchen smells of green and anise. It is humble food, served as a main course in its own right with a wedge of feta and bread to mop the oil, or as part of a larger spread. Its simplicity is its sophistication: a handful of ingredients, the best olive oil, and the patience to let them cook down properly.

Ingredients

Vegetables

  • 700 g fresh or frozen green peas
  • 6 piece spring onions, sliced (white and tender green)
  • 1 piece small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 piece ripe tomatoes, grated (skins discarded), or 200 g tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 1 piece medium potato, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes (optional)
  • 1 piece carrot, diced (optional)

Braise

  • 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large bunch fresh dill, chopped (about 40 g)
  • 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance the tomato)

Seasoning

  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Warm the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and spring onions and cook gently for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and translucent but not coloured.
  2. Add the grated or chopped tomatoes, the optional potato and carrot, the sugar if using, salt, and pepper. Stir and let the tomato cook down for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the peas and half the dill, and pour in just enough hot water to come about halfway up the vegetables. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Cover and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas (and potato, if used) are very soft and the liquid has reduced to a glossy oil-rich sauce. Add a splash of hot water if it dries out too soon.
  5. Stir through the remaining dill, turn off the heat, and let the dish rest for at least 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt.
  6. Serve warm or at room temperature, with crumbled feta, plenty of fresh bread to soak up the oil, and a wedge of lemon.

Notes

The quantity of olive oil is not a misprint: the oil is the sauce and a defining feature of the ladera tradition. Many Greek cooks add diced potato and carrot to make the dish more substantial, while purists keep it to peas, onion, and dill alone. It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days and is excellent cold.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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