Ina Garten Sugar Snap Peas With Sesame

Ina Garten sugar snap peas with sesame is easy, and it started as a produce order mistake. Her supplier sent snap peas instead of snow peas, so she had the cooks toss them with sesame oil and black sesame seeds. The easy salad has been a best seller ever since.

Every pod needs its stem and string pulled off first, or the peas turn tough and stringy when you bite in. Add the dark sesame oil a little at a time, because it is strong and takes over fast.

Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999)

Ina Garten Sugar Snap Peas With Sesame

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Course: SaladCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

95

kcal

Crisp raw pods get their strings pulled, then a hand toss coats every one in dark sesame oil. Black sesame seeds stick to the oil and stand out against the bright green. Nothing meets heat, so the peas stay snappy and go to the table at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh sugar snap peas
  

• Dark sesame oil
  

• Black sesame seeds

Directions

• Trim and toss: Pick through the sugar snap peas to remove any that aren't perfect. Remove and discard the stem end and the string from each pod. Toss the sugar snap peas in a bowl with sesame oil and sesame seeds to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use snow peas instead of sugar snap peas?

Snow peas work, but they are flatter and less sweet, so you lose the pop that makes this salad. Regular white sesame seeds are fine too, though the black ones show up better against the green. Ina points out that black sesame seeds turn up in Asian groceries and specialty food shops. Snap peas peak in June in the Northeast and come from California most of the year.

How long do sesame sugar snap peas keep?

Two days in the fridge, covered, and that is being generous. The oil softens the pods a little more every hour, so day one tastes much better than day two. I would not freeze them, since thawed snap peas go limp and watery.

Can I make this ahead for a party?

String the peas in the morning and keep them in a bag in the fridge, then toss with the oil and seeds right before the platter goes out. Dressed too early, they weep and the coating turns greasy. Ten minutes of work at the last second is worth it.

Do I need any special equipment?

A bowl and your hands, nothing else. Nothing gets blanched or sauteed here, so there is no pot to watch and no ice bath to set up. That is the whole reason the recipe survived on a busy store counter for years.

What is the mistake most people make?

Pouring the sesame oil straight from the bottle. Dark sesame oil is potent, and one heavy splash turns a fresh salad into something that tastes like takeout. Start with a teaspoon, toss, taste, then add more. The other common mistake is leaving the strings on, which ruins every bite.