Culinary Corner Returns!

[Editor’s Note: One of the more fun (non-uni) sections of Uni Watch was “Culinary Corner,” in which Paul would showcase his favorite recipes for food and drink, and which would periodically appear as a sub-lede in a larger article. Our own Mike Engle loved the feature, and wanted it to return, so it has been reborn, and Mike will be taking over its reins. Today the CuCo will be featured in a standalone article, and it will be appearing periodically, most likely as part of a larger post. I’ll let Mike take it from here. Enjoy! — PH]

Culinary Corner
by Mike Engle

As a long time Uni Watcher, I always enjoyed Paul’s “Culinary Corner” offerings. Whether it was an all-out recipe like the annual Irish cream recipe, or just a little trick like “put Oreos on the grill” or “heat bourbon in a pan with maple syrup before putting that sauced-up syrup on your pancakes,” it was always a treat to see (1) something else on Paul’s mind other than Uni Watching, that (2) I could try on my own, and feel a kinship. So in that spirit, I’d like to resurrect Culinary Corner!

I do a lot of the family cooking in my household (I work from home, but my wife doesn’t), and if my kids like what I made, it’s a highlight of the week. (Esther is 3 years old, and Henry is 1 year old. No, I’ve never made them dinosaur chicken nuggets.) Since I’m bringing back this feature, I’ll have to remember to photograph my cooking more often. I have no plans for a set schedule…if I have something good to write, I’ll share! If you have a submission, e-mail it to us like any other Ticker item…maybe we can get a cookbook together!

Here’s my inaugural offering:

Nando’s “Macho peas”

I lived in Washington DC for 3 years, and Nando’s peri-peri chicken became my favorite fast-casual chain restaurant. No joke, my wife and I had to agree on a Nando’s quota, to keep me in check! When it comes to side items, yes I like French fries, but my favorite fries don’t have a high “value over replacement fries.” So I’m always on the lookout for interesting sides other than fries, and I love Nando’s peas so much I even bring them to Thanksgiving tables!

When I was looking for a photo of them, I stumbled upon Nando’s official recipe, which I had never seen before. So here you go!

I only have three notes against the official recipe: (1) Trust me, dried herbs are just fine. “Dried red chili flakes” = the crushed red pepper you might sprinkle on your pizza, dried parsley is very commonly found in USA supermarkets, and if you can’t find dried mint there too, either go to an Arabic or Indian or some other “ethnic” market, or else just use Amazon. Definitely don’t skip the mint. That’s the whole point! (2) I like to mash about half the green peas, and then stir the mashed ones and the whole ones together before serving. It’s a more fun texture that way. Use a potato masher for that job, but if you don’t have one, use the bottom of a jar in your cupboard as the mashing tool. (3) Butter and olive oil are pretty much interchangeable here for me, so if you need to make it vegan, just use more oil instead of butter.

Enjoy!

Thanks, Mike!

And thanks for bringing back a UW fan favorite. Looking forward to future editions!