This week's work · 2026-04-27
Sugar snap peas, a hot wok, and the fastest dinner of the spring
The snap peas at the market were so good we ate half of them raw on the way home. The other half went into a hot wok with garlic and sesame — done in four minutes.
The sugar snap peas showed up at the market two weeks early, in big green piles, and we couldn't help ourselves — we stood at the counter and ate a handful each before we'd even paid. They were that good: crisp, sweet, with that little pop when you bite them.
We wanted dinner to keep up with the peas, so we kept it to one pan and about four minutes of cooking. A screaming-hot wok, a slick of peanut oil, the peas tossed until they blistered in spots, then garlic, a splash of mirin, a spoonful of white miso melted into the last of the heat, and a shower of toasted sesame seeds at the end.
We served it over rice with a fried egg on top, which is our move when we want dinner to feel like more than a vegetable. But honestly the peas were the main event — bright green, sweet, and still snap-crisp under the sauce.
The lesson was about respecting a short season. Snap peas are here for a few weeks, and they don't need much. A hot pan, a little garlic, and they'll do the rest.
Snap peas are here for a few weeks, and they don't need much — a hot pan, a little garlic, and they'll do the rest.
02 · The recipe
Blistered Sugar Snap Peas with Garlic, Miso & Sesame
Snap peas blistered in a screaming-hot wok with garlic, white miso, and mirin, finished with toasted sesame — the fastest vegetable dish of the season.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
What you'll need
Non-perishable
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Perishable
- 1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas, strings pulled
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Cooked rice and fried eggs, for serving
Method
- Set a wok over the highest heat your stove will give you. Let it get properly hot — a drop of water should dance across it — then add the peanut oil and swirl.
- Add the snap peas and toss constantly for 2 minutes, until they blister and turn bright green. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and toss 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
- Push the peas to one side, drop the miso and mirin into the empty spot, and let them sizzle together for a few seconds before tossing everything to coat.
- Take the wok off the heat, add the sesame oil and salt, and toss once more. Pile over rice, top with a fried egg if you like, and shower with the sesame seeds.
03 · What we used
The one thing worth mentioning.
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ingredient
La Tourangelle Roasted Peanut Oil
A neutral-ish oil with a high smoke point is the right call at wok temperatures — this one adds flavor instead of just heat.
Why we loved it: The roasting gives it a gentle nuttiness that flatters the peas without overpowering them, and it takes the screaming heat without smoking out the kitchen. Reviewers call it the oil that makes stir-fry taste like takeout — we agree.
Worth knowing: Peanut oil is pricier than canola, but a bottle lasts through many stir-fries.
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ingredient
Eden Organic Shiro White Miso
Miso is the umami backbone here — a good one is the difference between glazed and just seasoned.
Why we loved it: White miso is the mellow one, and this is the one we reach for when we want a spoonful of depth without a wall of salt. A tablespoon in the wok turns into a glossy glaze that coats every pea.
Worth knowing: It's a specialty pantry item, but it keeps for months in the fridge and a tub goes a long way.
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ingredient
Eden Mirin
One tablespoon of real mirin does what a spoonful of sugar can't — it brightens without sweetening.
Why we loved it: Real mirin has a depth that the corn-syrup versions don't — a little sweetness, a little alcohol warmth, and it makes the sauce taste round instead of sharp.
Worth knowing: It's a specialty bottle, but you'll use it in every stir-fry and glaze from here on.
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ingredient
Eden Toasted Sesame Oil
Toasted sesame oil is a finishing oil — added last, it makes the whole plate smell like toasted seeds.
Why we loved it: It's properly toasted and properly intense — you need half a teaspoon, not a splash. Finishing the peas with it off the heat keeps the aroma alive.
Worth knowing: It's potent stuff, so a bottle lasts a long time — just keep it in a cool cabinet.
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ingredient
Eden Organic Brown Sesame Seeds
A shower of toasted seeds is the textural finish — this is the bag we keep for exactly that.
Why we loved it: Unhulled seeds keep more of their flavor, and toasting them dry for a minute wakes them right up. They add the little pop of crunch the peas deserve.
Worth knowing: Toasting is a 60-second job — skip it and you lose half the flavor.
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ingredient
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Salt is what makes the peas taste like themselves — this is the one we reach for.
Why we loved it: The crystals are light and grabby, so you can season by feel, and it dissolves quickly on the hot peas. It's the salt we reach for every night.
Worth knowing: It's a bigger box than you need at first, but it keeps forever and you'll use it daily.
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ingredient
Yupanqui Organic Black Peppercorns
A quarter teaspoon of pepper is doing real work in this dish — this one earns its keep.
Why we loved it: The red pepper flakes bring the heat here, and a little fresh-cracked black pepper brings the aroma. It's the pepper that makes a pinch taste like it was just ground.
Worth knowing: It's a single-origin spice in a generous bag — costs more than the supermarket tin, but it stays whole and aromatic for months.
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