— stewed.—This is the best method of cooking old peas, though abroad it is often used for young ones. Melt a couple of ounces of butter with a small sliced onion, a bunch of parsley, and either some sprays of mint, or half a head of lettuce tied up together; add white pepper and salt to taste; let this cook till the onion is very faintly coloured, when you add the peas, a small teaspoonful of sugar, and as much water, or stock, as will float them; half a pint is sufficient for one and a half pints of peas. Now let them stew very gently till the peas are perfectly tender (young peas take half an hour thus), then remove the lettuce, onions, and parsley, thicken the liquid with a little white roux (or ½oz. each of butter and flour simmered together till perfectly smooth and well blended), shake the saucepan well to mix all this thoroughly, add, if necessary, a tiny dust of caster sugar, and serve. French cooks often stir in at the last the yolk of an egg beaten up with a little milk, instead of the flour and butter thickening. They also put in the onion whole, for the convenience of lifting it out. Peas cooked in this way are known as Petits pois à la Française, or à la Bourgeoise.