Easter: This Chef’s Pea Salad Is Crowd Ready

Chef Lucas McKinney of Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition in Houston, Texas, has created the ultimate side salad for Easter or any big meal. It holds up well when you make it ahead and store in the fridge, and when mealtime comes it’s guaranteed to keep up with a whole hungry table of family and friends. His Shell ‘n Pea salad is creamy with a bit of crunch and loaded with peas, cheese, herbs, and a punchy lemon aioli – made with Blue Plate Mayo – that ties it all together. That’s the good stuff!

Chef Lucas McKinney’s Shell ‘n Pea Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup dried black eyed peas
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups frozen green peas
• 2 cups Blue Plate Mayonnaise
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cups sugar snap or snow peas, veins removed from pods and cut into medium diced segments
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 3 cups grated white cheddar cheese
• 4 hardboiled eggs, finely grated
• 2 cups capers, pan fried in shallow oil until crispy
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Cook the black eyed peas: In a pot with salted water, boil the dried black eyed peas with the garlic cloves, onion, celery and bay leaves until the peas are cooked through but not mushy. Strain the peas into a sealable bowl, cover and cool in the refrigerator. Once cooled, remove the seasoning vegetables. (It should yield around 2 1/2 cups of peas.)
• Flash blanch the frozen peas, strain and set aside to cool.
• Make the lemon aioli: In a bowl, add the mayo, lemon zest and lemon juice (remove any seeds). Mix well to combine; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the parsley, chives, thyme, tarragon and rosemary.
• In a large bowl, place the black eyed peas, blanched green peas and sugar snap peas. Add the lemon aioli and herbs and mix well to combine. Mix in the diced red onion and grated carrot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the salad in a serving bowl or dish and sprinkle on the crispy capers; top with the grated cheese and then the grated egg, finishing with a sprinkling of black pepper.
• This salad can be served in a large bowl or serving dish or on individual small plates lined with a piece of bibb or butter lettuce.