Recipe: Purée of Split Peas with Ham

Recipe

Purée of Split Peas with Ham

Serving Size: 8
Preparation Time: 1:30

Ingredients

8 oz bacon or ham fat—chopped

Dark Mirepoix

2 large onions—chopped
4 stalks celery—chopped
2 cups leek white and light green parts—washed chopped
1 cup carrots—chopped
1/2 head garlic—peeled and chopped
2 qt.white stock
1 lb. Split Peas—Soaked and picked of stones
1 each smoked ham hocks—or smoked neck bones
1 cup peas frozen—or more. Optional

Preparation

sauté the bacon or ham fat and brown it well. If it is not well browned it will turn an ugly white.
Peel and dice or chop the mirepoix vegetables and garlic.
sauté the mirepoix to brown it lightly.
Add the liquid, then the split peas that have been picked over for stones and soaked overnight in water.
Bring to the boil, add the ham hock, smoked neck bones or whatever smoked goodies you have, and don't worry about the fat. This soup needs fat to make it smooth and rich. It is a cold winter soup. Cook until everything is soft. If it gets too thick, add stock or water.
Remove the bones, and dice any meat or skin for a garnish.
purée. At this point add frozen green peas so they cook in the hot liquid, but just a little. This keeps them bright green and fresh tasting.
Season to taste. Garnish. Garlic Croutons are very good with this but you have to hide them till the last minute, or people will mooch them.

nb. If this soup is too thick, you can dilute it with water, stock or milk, but in very cold outdoor conditions, hot and salty, it is good thick as mashed potatoes.

nb. Before you work with the peas, smell them to make sure there is not a musty odor, and check them for stones.

Notes: In my dog sledding days, I was famous for this soup, as I would bring gallons of it, thick as mashed potatoes, to the races, in baggies. The "crew" would have a pot of boiling water on the fire, and add bag fulls to the pot. The racers liked it best thick and salty after a hard cold race. I made it in two "flavors," green or yellow, depending on which split peas I got. BTW, in its thick state it freezes well in baggies, so make a double batch and save time. Then take an equal volume of water, stock or milk, heat it, add the frozen concentrate and "soups on."