Green Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients for Green Pea and Ham Soup

• 900g meaty smoked ham hocks

• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, halved

• 3 small celery stalks, very roughly chopped

• 1/2 medium carrot, peeled, very roughly chopped

• 1 head garlic, halved horizontally, not peeled

• 1 fresh bay leaf, or 1/2 dried

• 6 black peppercorns

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/2 small Spanish onion, finely chopped

• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 2 teaspoons Maldon or another flaky sea salt

• 120ml dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

• Five-fingered pinch of mint leaves, plus some torn leaves for finishing

• Two 275g packages Birds Eye frozen baby peas

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3 or 60ml crème fraîche

Combine the hocks, vegetables, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1925ml water in a medium stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on, and cook at a nice steady simmer until the meat on the hocks is so tender it's almost falling off the bone, 4 to 5 hours.

Carefully remove the hocks and put them in a big bowl. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve into the bowl, and discard the vegetables and aromatics. Let the hocks cool in the liquid.

When the hocks are cool enough to handle, pull off the meat in bite-sized chunks. Discard the bones and any hard bits and some of the fat, but don't throw away the skin—I add the skin to the soup in thin slices, along with the chunks of ham. You don't have to, but I like the way it goes sticky in the soup. You can keep the stock and meat (moistened with a splash of stock) in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to two days. Gently warm the meat and skin before proceeding with the recipe. This recipe requires only 950ml stock—you may freeze the leftover stock for up to a month for your next batch of soup.

Put the butter in a large pot that has a lid and set it over medium heat. Once the butter starts to froth, add the onion, carrot, and salt and stir. Cover the pot and cook, stirring every now and again, until the onions are soft and creamy (but not coloured) and the carrots are tender but firm, about 15 minutes.

Add the wine and bring it to a boil (turn the heat up if you need to). Let the wine boil until it's all but gone, about 5 minutes. Add the mint and 4 cups of the ham broth and bring the liquid to a boil, then add the peas. (At this point, the carrots will have bobbed to the top. I like to pick out most of the carrot chunks before pureeing the soup, then add them back after. That way, you can nibble on them in the soup, getting that bit of texture.) Cook at a simmer until the peas are warmed through and tender, about 5 minutes.

Blend the pot's contents, in batches, until smooth. Return all the bright-green pea puree to the large pot, add the ham pieces and carrots, and cook at a very gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, just to let the flavours mingle and heat the ham. Have a taste, and season with salt. How much you need to add will depend on how salty the ham hocks are.

Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, several twists of black pepper, and the torn mint leaves. Then add the crème fraîche in little blobs here and there, so everyone will get a bit. Serve the soup in the pot, with small bowls along-side.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.