Name: Sautéed Green Peas with Butter and Soy Sauce
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: 100g frozen green peas; 1 tbsp olive oil; A pinch of salt; Two pinches of sugar; 2 shakes of Ajinomoto (MSG); 5g butter; 1/3 tsp soy sauce; Black pepper, to taste

About "Sautéed Green Peas with Butter and Soy Sauce"

This hands-off sautéed green pea recipe uses 100g of frozen peas and costs less than a dollar to make. Sautéed straight from the freezer in olive oil until beautifully browned, they are seasoned with a golden ratio of 1 part salt, 2 parts sugar, and Ajinomoto, then finished off-heat with butter and soy sauce. Rich, savory, and highly aromatic, it makes a perfect quick side dish or appetizer.

Video Timestamps

Tips for Making "Sautéed Green Peas with Butter and Soy Sauce"

Prep
- Do not thaw the frozen green peas; add them straight to the pan. Thawing them in water washes away water-soluble umami, so cooking them from frozen is best.
Heat Control
- Add the olive oil and green peas to the pan before turning on the heat, then set to medium. This avoids sudden temperature shocks, thawing them gently while browning.
Searing
- Leave them mostly undisturbed and let them sear until they get a nice char. This Maillard reaction is key to unlocking deep, savory flavors.
Seasoning
- Once browned, lower the heat and toss with a pinch of salt, two pinches of sugar (2:1 sugar-to-salt ratio), and 2 shakes of Ajinomoto (approx. 2 shakes per 100g of ingredients).
Finishing
- Always turn off the heat completely before adding the butter and soy sauce. This prevents the delicate aromas from evaporating and keeps the soy sauce from reducing and becoming too salty. Simply toss in the residual heat.
Plating
- Plate the peas and dust with black pepper for a sharp accent. Top with a soft-boiled egg if you want to recreate the Saizeriya style.

Ingredients for "Sautéed Green Peas with Butter and Soy Sauce"

8 items

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100gfrozen green peas
1tbsp olive oil
Apinch of salt
Twopinches of sugar
2shakes of Ajinomoto (MSG)
5gbutter
1/3tsp soy sauce
Blackpepper, to taste

How to Make "Sautéed Green Peas with Butter and Soy Sauce"

1
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a small pot or skillet before turning on the heat.
2
Add 100g of frozen green peas straight from the freezer and spread them out slightly so they are coated in the oil.
3
Turn the heat to medium and let them cook mostly undisturbed until they develop a nice, fragrant char (slightly browned).
4
Once well-browned, reduce the heat to low, add a pinch of salt, two pinches of sugar, and 2 shakes of Ajinomoto, then toss to combine.
5
Turn off the heat completely, add 5g of butter and 1/3 tsp of soy sauce, and toss quickly to melt the butter using the residual heat.
6
Plate the peas and finish with black pepper to taste.

Detailed Commentary on "Sautéed Green Peas with Butter and Soy Sauce"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Better than Saizeriya? Butter Soy Sauce Peas

Hello, I'm Kojima Ponsuke. Today, using principles of molecular gastronomy, I'll show you how to make an incredibly delicious 'Sautéed Green Peas with Butter and Soy Sauce' with absolutely no special skills required. This recipe is inspired by the popular menu item at the famous Japanese restaurant chain Saizeriya. While making it as a quick snack or wine pairing, I kept tweaking it until I arrived at this ultimate version. Since it uses frozen green peas, it's incredibly cheap and fast to make. Whenever I serve this to guests, it gets rave reviews, and so many people have asked for the recipe that I decided to make a video about it. It's a family-approved, highly confident recipe, so I hope you enjoy it!

Three Key Points for Perfect Peas

There are three key points to ensure this dish turns out perfectly delicious every time. First, cook them straight from the freezer. Although the title says 'sautéed,' think of it more as 'searing' them to get a nice char. Second, season only after they are browned. Since we are using frozen peas, the flavors won't penetrate if you season them while they are still frozen; wait patiently for that color to develop. Third, finish with butter and soy sauce off the heat. This final touch transforms them into an addictive flavor profile similar to butter-soy corn. Even those who usually dislike green peas will find themselves loving this dish, so keep these three points in mind!

Step 1: Sear Straight from the Freezer

Let's start cooking! First, grab a small skillet or pot and add 1 tbsp of olive oil before turning on the heat. Add 100g of frozen green peas directly into the pan. I'm using standard organic frozen peas from the supermarket; modern freezing technology is so advanced that they taste incredibly fresh. Toss them slightly to coat with oil, and only then turn the heat to medium. Starting from a cold pan with frozen peas prevents rapid temperature shocks, allowing them to thaw gently and evenly. Also, thawing them in water washes away water-soluble nutrients and umami, so cooking them straight from frozen is the absolute best method. Leave them mostly untouched and let them sear slowly until a wonderful, roasty aroma fills the air.

Step 2: The Golden Ratio Seasoning

Once the peas are nicely seared with a bit of char, reduce the heat to low. This browning (the Maillard reaction) is crucial for bringing out a deep, savory flavor. Now for our second point: seasoning. We'll use our channel's signature golden ratio of '1 part salt, 2 parts sugar, and Ajinomoto.' Add a pinch of salt, followed by two pinches of sugar (a 1:2 ratio of salt to sugar). For the Ajinomoto, we follow the rule of '1/100th of the ingredient weight times 2.' Since we have 100g of peas, that means 2 shakes (4 shakes for 200g, 6 shakes for 300g). This seasoning ratio is incredibly versatile and perfect for dishes like namul or scallion-salt sauces where you want to highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients without adding heavy dashi aromas.

Step 3: Add Butter & Soy Sauce Off-Heat

Once the seasonings are well incorporated, it's time for the final touch. The key here is to turn off the heat completely. As soon as the heat is off, add 5g of butter and 1/3 tsp of soy sauce. We do this off-heat because the delicate aromatic compounds in butter and soy sauce are highly heat-sensitive; if you keep cooking them over active heat, those wonderful aromas will simply evaporate. Overheating also causes the soy sauce to reduce and become overly salty. By melting the butter in the residual heat and tossing quickly, you preserve the maximum fragrance for an exquisite butter-soy flavor. It's an incredibly simple process that requires almost no effort.

The Perfect Quick Appetizer is Ready!

Once plated, I highly recommend finishing with a light dusting of black pepper. It adds a sharp kick that beautifully ties the flavors together. If you want to recreate the Saizeriya vibe, you can top it with a soft-boiled or poached egg (onsen tamago). However, even without the egg, the rich butter flavor makes this dish incredibly satisfying on its own. While it has evolved into something slightly different from the original Saizeriya dish, it stands perfectly on its own as a stellar side dish or appetizer. Best of all, you can whip it up almost entirely hands-off straight from the freezer. Give it a try at home! See you next time!

Better than Saizeriya for Under $1! Hands-Off Butter Soy Sauce Green Peas