Pea and Ham Soup

In Cristian Broglia’s new book, The Gluten-Free Cookbook he creates delicious gluten-free dishes from across the globe. This typically English soup uses dried peas instead of fresh and is perfect for the cooler weather.

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes resting time Cooking time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)

2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter

2 large carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

6 oz (175g) dried green split peas

1 lb (450g) pork hocks

8 ½ cups (68 fl oz/2 litres) ham bone stock Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ lb (110g) cured pork leg, sliced, for garnish

Method

In a soup pot, heat 1 ½ tablespoons (25 g) of the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, 5–6 minutes. Add the peas, pork hocks, and stock and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the meat is very soft, about 3 hours. Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Remove the pork hocks from the pot and place them on a plate to cool down. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones and chop the meat. In a pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 1 teaspoon (5 g) butter, then add the chopped meat and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes.

In a food processor (or with a hand blender), blend the pea mixture until it is creamy and smooth and return to the pot. Heat it over medium heat for 2 minutes, stir in the meat, and simmer for 10 minutes longer to blend the flavors. Serve hot, garnished with the sliced cured pork.