what's cooking in belgium: pea & ham soup

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30 What’s Cooking in Belgium TRAVELS AROUND WALLONIA Pea & ham SOUP Fry a roughly chopped onion, 2 sticks of celery and a small leek in a splash of oil for 10 minutes. Transfer to a saucepan and add the peas, 2 peeled potatoes, 1½ litres of water and the pork meat. It is best not to cut the meat up as it will need to be retrieved from the pot aſter cooking. Smoked meats will give a rougher, earthier taste to the dish. Simmer with the lid on over a low heat for an hour. Stir and skim the froth off the surface occasionally. When cooked, remove the meat and use a blender to turn the liquid and vegetables into a smooth soup. If it is too thick then it can be thinned with a cup of milk. Return to a low heat whilst you chop up the pork into small pieces and add them back to the soup. Be sure not to let the soup boil as this will spoil the dish’s vibrant colour and delicate flavour. Serve with croutons and crusty brown bread. This soup was traditionally cooked with the bone and dry, tough offcuts of an Ardennes ham, and fresh peas were used in the summer and dried peas out of season. If you use dried peas, soak 150g of whole or split peas in 1½ litres of water overnight, and use this flavour-rich water to make the soup. 4 servings 1 large saucepan 1 bowl 1 blender Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking: 60 minutes 300g fresh or frozen peas 1 small onion 2 sticks of celery 1 small leek 2 potatoes 250g pork belly, knuckle or chunk of dried ham A splash of oil 1 ½ litres water OPTIONAL: 250ml milk

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Full recipe download from the book "What's cooking in Belgium"; recipes and stories from a food-loving nation by Neil Evans & Anna Jenkinson. Photography by Diane Hendrikx. Food Styling by Hilde Oeyen

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Page 1: What's cooking in Belgium:  Pea & Ham Soup

30 What’s Cooking in Belgium traVeLS around waLLonia

Pea & ham SOuP

Fryaroughlychoppedonion,2sticksofceleryandasmallleekinasplashofoilfor10minutes.Transfertoasaucepanandaddthepeas,2peeledpotatoes,1½litresofwaterandtheporkmeat.Itisbestnottocutthemeatupasitwillneedtoberetrievedfromthepotaftercooking.Smokedmeatswillgivearougher,earthiertastetothedish.

Simmerwiththelidonoveralowheatforanhour.Stirandskimthefrothoffthesurfaceoccasionally.

Whencooked,removethemeatanduseablendertoturntheliquidandvegetablesintoasmoothsoup.Ifitistoothickthenitcanbethinnedwithacupofmilk.Returntoalowheatwhilstyouchopuptheporkintosmallpiecesandaddthembacktothesoup.Besurenottoletthesoupboilasthiswillspoilthedish’svibrantcolouranddelicateflavour.

servewithcroutonsandcrustybrownbread.

thissoupwastraditionallycookedwiththeboneanddry,toughoffcutsofanardennesham,

andfreshpeaswereusedinthesummeranddriedpeasoutofseason.ifyouusedriedpeas,

soak150gofwholeorsplitpeasin1½litresofwaterovernight,andusethisflavour-rich

watertomakethesoup.

4servings

1largesaucepan

1bowl

1blender

preparation:30minutes

Cooking:60minutes

300gfreshorfrozenpeas

1smallonion

2sticksofcelery

1smallleek

2potatoes

250gporkbelly,knuckle

orchunkofdriedham

asplashofoil

1½litreswater

optional:

250mlmilk