Pea and peppery leaf salad

SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 10 MINS

“This salad is all spring – crunchy peas and creamy ricotta with lively pickled onions. I love fresh peas served raw, just popped out of the pod,” says Waddell.

300 gm snow peas, trimmed, halved widthways on an angle

1 bunch broad leaf rocket (see note) 1 bunch nasturtium, leaves and flowers 800 gm podded peas

½ bunch mint, coarsely torn

100 gm firm ricotta, drained

Snow pea flowers, to serve

PICKLE 100 ml white wine vinegar

20 gm caster sugar

1 each clove and star anise

2 golden shallots, sliced into rings CHIVE OIL

½ bunch chives

25 gm baby spinach leaves

125 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

1 For pickle, place vinegar, sugar, spices and 50ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook stirring until sugar has dissolved (2 minutes). Place shallots in a bowl, pour over pickling liquid and refrigerate until ready to use.

2 For chive oil, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until finely chopped. Transfer to a small saucepan and place over high heat and bring just to the boil (2 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin cloth or oil filter into a heatproof jug. Cool completely. Makes 125ml.

3 For salad, blanch snow peas

(30 seconds to 1 minute), drain and refresh, then drain and set aside. Tear up half the rocket and nasturtium leaves and shred the other half. In a large bowl combine leaves, peas and mint. Remove shallots from pickle and add three-quarters to the bowl. For dressing, whisk 2 tbsp pickling liquid into the chive oil. Drizzle dressing over salad, season and toss to combine. Transfer to a bowl and scatter over ricotta and flowers.

Note If broad leaf rocket isn’t available, substitute rocket or mustard leaf.