Marrowfat Pea and Spinach Cakes

I have called these ‘cakes’ rather than fritters or patties as they are bigger than the average fritter, one is just the right size for a light lunch, especially if served in my favourite way with a perfectly cooked poached egg, a few peppery salad leaves from the garden and a little garlic mayonnaise.

Marrowfat peas always remind me of my Grandmother, a feisty little white haired Yorkshire lady who brought up fourteen children in a tiny house with an outside loo, no bathroom and an old blackened range to cook on. My father still reminisces about her cooking, his tales of bread cakes cooling on the kitchen windowsill, kale soup, the best ever Yorkshire puddings and meat and potato pies have been passed down to me with fond affection. When we used to visit she always cooked a huge saucepan of marrowfat peas, perfectly soft and mushy, the typical Yorkshire ‘mushy pea’ we all know and love.

Back down South, my mother tried on many occasions to replicate the softness of these peas and although my father used to smile graciously, we all knew they were never quite the same as Grandma Lily’s. No matter how much Bicarbonate of Soda my mother added, that smooth mushy texture always eluded her and it was not until just a few years ago that I was able to tell her it was nothing to do with her cooking but something as simple as she used the wrong water.

I still live in a hard water area today in East Anglia so I use filtered water to cook dried peas. In this particular recipe I boil them for 10 minutes then simmer for about 75 mins although this will probably vary slightly from kitchen to kitchen.

Makes 5 Cakes
Great served with an egg (as shown in the picture)!

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