Pea shoots

Pousses de pois

What it is

In Cantonese kitchens dou miao means only the top two leaves and the tendril, snapped off the vine by hand, and the price steps up sharply for that one inch of plant. The rest of the shoot is sold separately and cooks down to string.

In the kitchen

Wilt them in a very hot pan in under thirty seconds with garlic and a splash of water rather than oil alone — it is the steam that collapses them evenly. Salt afterwards, since salted first they weep and stew.

Goes with

Butter Egg Scallop Lemon Parmesan Mint

Same species

Mangetout Pea Split pea

In season alongside

Green bean Nanohana (rapeseed blossom) Pak choi Asparagus Sweetfish (ayu) Bitter melon

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