17 November 2005

split pea soup

buy a ham butt, carve it into three piles: one for bits of ham you would like to eat, one for bits of ham to use for stock, one for bits of ham that are solid fat. throw the bits of fat away.

boil the bone and the stock bits with 10 cups water, 3-4 chopped onions, 1 lb split peas (rinsed & picked over) for about two hours, until peas begin to soften. remove from heat, take out bone and other bits of ham that you wouldn't want to eat. put in fridge overnight.

the next day, skim off fat and jelly. reheat and continue to cook until peas have fallen apart completely and soup has thickened. at some point in this process, season with salt, white pepper, a dash of nutmeg and some red pepper flakes. add some of the bits from the first (good) pile of ham, heat through, and serve, garnished with finely chopped chives or scallions.

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