London Particular Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Rinse, then drain, soaked ham hock. Place ham hock, large onion, celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme in a large saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, for 2 1/2 hours or until tender. Cool.
• 2. Strain ham stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a Tupperware or glass bowl with lid. Reserve the stock, and shred ham into bite-sized pieces. If stock is too spicy, distill with some water.
• 3. Rinse soaked peas until water runs clear.
• 4. In a large saucepan or pot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Sauté the onion until it is soft and translucent. Add carrot, peas, and the stock. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and skim off any fat floating at the top.
• 5. Simmer until the peas are very soft, about 45 minutes. Purée soup in small batches using an immersion or regular blender. If too thick, add more stock. Return soup to saucepan, add leftover ham, then heat through. Serve in warm bowls, perhaps with chopped celery sprinkled on top.

Steps:

• Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add the bacon, onion, carrots and celery and cook for 5-10mins or until the veggies begin to soften and the bacon is crispy.
• Add the split peas and stock to the saucepan bringing to a boil, lower heat cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the peas are soft and cooked through.
• Allow the soup to cool then place in a blender or food processor, pulse a few times or more depending on how smooth or chunky you want it. (If you have a hand held blender wand then do it right in the pot being careful not to over process).
• Return the soup to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and gently reheat being careful not to allow the soup to boil.
• Garnish with the croutons and the reserved tblsp of cooked chopped bacon.