One thing that an excellent plate of fish and chips needs, is balance, it’s mushy peas. A delightful bit of veg to go along with the golden fried goodness of the perfectly made fish and chips. Good marrowfat peas cooked low and slow to the point that they can be easily mushed into a delightful green mash of pea purée is a thing of beauty. There is just something about the perfectly done and seasoned house made mushy peas. And maybe, just maybe add in a hint of mint. It can be a simple, yet delicious addition to fish and chips.

It takes three to make a perfect combo. Two Stooges is not a thing. Mushy peas is the Larry to the Moe and Curley of fish and chips, if you will. Not the main act, but an important part nonetheless. The part of the whole that keeps the one two punch in balance.

In recent years mushy peas, if offered at all has gone to one of two extremes. Either sloshed out of a can, bland, flat, and just slightly brown. Or even worse “elevated” to an “artisanal” level with off additions like cilantro/coriander (the horrors), or, the worst of all, replaced with some vegetal blend of green goop.

With fewer and fewer veg in meals these days, why not celebrate the one that is both historic in English cuisine and delicious. Celebrate the mushy peas, don’t ignore them. Of this, I implore you.