Recently I reached out to readers asking them for favorite dishes at local restaurants that they would like to recreate at home.  Someone immediately commented that they wanted Scott’s Bar and Grill Broadway Pea Salad — a dish that I know is iconic to the restaurant. I reached out the general manager as well as the the executive chef for the recipe. Unfortunately, I did not hear back from them. So I decided to do some research. It turns out that a place called Clinkerdagger in Spokane serves the Broadway Pea Salad. Clinkerdagger seems to have been established at the about the same time as Scott’s and they are now both owned by the Landry Restaurant Group.

The Broadway Pea Salad seems to be the same at both locations. It’s easy to make but you have to remember to make it the day before you are going to serve it.  The flavor needs to meld for at least 24 hours. You also need to remember to defrost the peas — you don’t want to quickly defrost them in cold water because they become too soggy. You also don’t want to make this with canned peas. You need to use frozen peas. Once you have all the ingredients prepped and assembled it comes together quickly.

It’s a tasty appetizer salad as well as a great side to serve with the main meal. It gets better as all the flavors develop and it won’t last long. It’s been a favorite of our family’s at Scott’s for years. Now you can make it to enjoy at home.

Please send me you requests! I would love to reach out to local restaurants to get recipes for the dishes and beverages that you adore.

Broadway Pea Salad

1/2 C mayonnaise
1/2 C sour cream
1 t. white pepper
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. lemon juice
4 oz. snow peas:  strings removed, cut into smaller pieces  (use them raw or lightly steamed, still crunchy)  (Note:  if you don’t like snow peas or if they are not available feel free to leave them out.  Omitting them does NOT impact the deliciousness of this salad)
3 1/2 pounds frozen baby peas, thawed but not cooked
2 1/2 oz. red onion, 1/4″ dice
3 oz. bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped into 1/4″ pieces
5 oz. water chestnuts, sliced and diced

Instructions

Important note:  Peas must be naturally thawed. Slow thawing under refrigeration is best. Room temperature is acceptable but do not place the frozen peas in water. Place the thawed peas on paper towel-lined pans and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to purge the remaining excess moisture from peas. If peas are not thoroughly thawed or have been thawed in water and not properly drained they will dilute the dressing.

Blend together mayonnaise, sour cream, white pepper, salt and lemon juice. Combine snow peas, baby peas, water chestnuts, bacon and red onions with dressing until ingredients are well coated.

Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving. Stir thoroughly before serving.

—  By Deborah Binder

Deborah Binder lives in Edmonds with her family. She is “dancing with N.E.D.” (no evidence of disease) after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2009. She is a foodie who loves to cook from scratch and share her experiments with her family and friends. She attended culinary school on the East Coast and freelances around town for local chefs. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including butter.” Deborah can be contacted at jaideborah@yahoo.com.