Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and blanch the frozen peas for 2 minutes.
Drain and cool down by running under cold water or submerging in ice water to further stop the peas from cooking.
Sweat down finely chopped shallots and garlic with thyme leaves in a skillet or pan with some cooking oil until soft and translucent. Do not caramelise. Add the salt at this stage to help it cook without browning. Once cooked set aside to cool.
Chop the blanched peas roughly. You don't want any whole peas but you don't want it to be puree either. You can chop the peas by hand or pulse them in a food processor.
Squeeze them in a clean kitchen towel or muslin cloth to get rid of the excess moisture. This will prevent the dip from being too wet.
Chop the parsley and mint finely.
Add all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
Mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon and taste for seasoning.
Adjust the consistency if necessary by adding a bit of sour cream if it's too dry. If you didn't remove enough water from the peas you will need to add more peas that is very well squeezed out.
Plate up and finish with some small chunks of feta, small fresh mint tops, more olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
Frozen peas work better than fresh peas in most cases as they are picked and frozen straight away preserving their freshness and sweetness. Use fresh peas only when they are young and in season. Tinned peas do not work in this recipe for the simple fact that they are not tasty and lost all their freshness.
Use regular white onion if you can't find shallots.
You can use any other oil suitable for frying as long as it's neutral in taste and has a high smoke point. Sunflower, nut oils or olive oil all work.
Add powdered sugar or your preferred sweetener to balance the taste. Not always necessary as it depends on the sweetness of the peas used.
Creamy feta is simply a non-crumbly, plain and more traditional version of Greek feta. Easily found in most stores. If you only have crumbly feta then use that.
Make this recipe vegan by replacing the dairy with vegan alternatives. Easily found in most major stores or health food shops.
This recipe can be used for more than just a dip. Serve as a side dish with grilled meats, fish and vegetables, or a topping for bruschetta.
Store airtight in the fridge for 2 days. Can be frozen for longer storage.