Smashed peas and whipped goat cheese on toast

Serves: 4
Course: Starter
Cooking Time: 0 hr 5 mins
Ingredients
  • 200g goat’s cheese (at room temperature)
  • 2tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Fine sea salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 50ml extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
  • 200g peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 1 small bunch mint or dill leaves, chopped
  • 1 baguette 

1 Blend the goat's cheese and lemon juice together until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.

2 Gently warm the olive oil in a saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the peas and garlic and as they soften, mash them against the side of saucepan with a fork, pressing them into the oil, while keeping them fairly chunky. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the herbs. Set aside and leave to cool.

3 Cut the baguette in half lengthways and in half again across the centre to make four slices. Drizzle the bread with oil and toast lightly under a hot grill.

4 To assemble, spread a generous amount of goat cheese on to each toast. Top with the smashed peas, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.

Jess Murphy

Jess Murphy

Jess Murphy, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a Kiwi chef living on the west coast of Ireland