Crispy Mushy Pea Cakes

Method

1. Prepare your breading station with three medium-sized shallow bowls, separately filled with: the beaten egg, the flour, and the breadcrumbs. With a dessert spoon and your fingers, take a big spoonful of the chilled mushy peas and gently toss it first in the flour, then the beaten egg, and then the breadcrumbs. It will feel dangerously fragile, but be gentle and persevere. Once covered in the breaded coating, place the cake on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the mushy peas, then store the plate in the fridge while you bring the vegetable oil up to temperature in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. The oil is hot enough when it bubbles steadily around the end of a wooden spoon. Take your prepared mushy pea cakes out of the fridge. Using a thin metal spatula / fish slice, gently lift one off of the plate and slide it into the oil. Depending on the size of your saucepan, and being careful not to overcrowd the oil, do the same with the others (better to fry in batches if unsure). Fry until brown and crispy, about three minutes a side, before removing from the oil with a slotted spoon and patting dry on kitchen roll.
3. To eat, I like them swiped through a mix of good mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, with a squeeze of lemon on top