Petit Pois a la Francais

An elegant and fun way to serve green peas. At one time, the English ruled a large part of France. Somewhere along the way, they probably snitched this recipe from the French kings royal kitchens. However it worked its way into the Royal families dining room, it is a delicious way to get your peas down when you have two young Princes learning to eat their vegetables!

Serves 6

6 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
¼ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1½ pound frozen green peas
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 cups good chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 small bunch of mint, chopped.

In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, fry the bacon slowly until it is soft and some of the fat has been rendered. Stir in the sliced onions and lettuce, and let them simmer for about five minutes. Add the peas, salt, sugar, pepper, and add chicken stock to cover. Continue to cook slowly until the peas are heated through. About 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine the butter and flour and add the mixture to the peas and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir. Garnish with mint and serve immediately.