Notes From the Recipe Tester: Why Peel a Pea? April 24, 2012, 1:21 pm Denise Landis has been testing recipes for The New York Times for more than 20 years. She is also the author of "Dinner for Eight: 40 Great Dinner Party Menus for Friends and Family." Here, she offers tips for making one of this week's Dining recipes. Elaine Sciolino's Letter From Paris celebrates the glories of fresh peas and comes with a simple recipe - simple, that is, after you've peeled the peas. Peeling individual peas may seem ludicrous, if not completely deranged, until you've had the experience of eating fresh split peas. The covering of a fresh pea is translucent and very slightly tough, a more delicate version of the skin on a fava bean. Inside its skin are two pieces that fall apart when the skin is removed. Normally we don't notice the skin on cooked peas, especially if the peas are young and small. But eating peeled and split peas is a very different and more sensual experience. Flat on one side and round on the other, they have a silky, slippery feel in the mouth. Imagine them cooked al dente, bright green on the plate, their flavor enhanced by a little butter and a touch of flaky salt. There are only about five people on the planet for whom I would peel peas. That's because it took me about an hour to peel half a pound. I did this while watching TV, but I suggest sitting with a friend and sharing a little wine and some gossip while you do the work. You'll want to peel peas only for the deserving, those who won't need to be told how long it took, but who will close their eyes at the first mouthful and notice how the delicate flavor of the peas mingles with the broth in which they've been cooked. Or peel peas just for yourself. It's not an everyday thing, but something assuredly worth giving a try.