Pea and ham soup

wigglebeena

Are the peas very old? If so you might have trouble softening them. Also if you put salt in before they are soft - never do this! Also no acid ingredients e.g. vinegar or tomatoes. If they really won't soften a little bit of bicarb will probably do the job.

is76

Right so I bought a ham hock at butchers £3.75! (ehm, thought it would be cheaper)

I have soaked ham in water to remove salt. Then cooked slowly with some random veg to make stock. So far so good.....

Soaked Batchelors Quick Soak Green Pea but WITHOUT tablet thingy! (I threw that away!) for at least 2 hours

Now I have added peas to stock and it is cooking them. So is there a problem because I haven't used tablet thingy?

Be gentle, this my first time with a hock. Which I have stripped and now got some lovely ham off it. Which I might add to my soup...

Paulie'sGirl

No, its not a problem

It should be delicious, so much so I'll be digging one of mine out of the freezer tomorrow.

Mmmm hock meat Also delicious in a quiche with onions (or leeks), peppers, mushrooms, egg and milk mix with oregano, topped with cheese and sliced tomatoes. *drool*

timmmers

I soak the peas (and barley in mine) ..overnight. Cook the shank as you said but alone...leave to cool in the water and skim the fat off . In a pressure cooker ..it's faster.

Set the liquid to one side....onions, carrots, celery etc into the Pressure cooker and sauted for a minute or two, add stock and soaked peas and barley, and I like shredded cabbage too if I can get it. ....cook until peas and barley are edible.

The only time it turned out not good was when I added salt to early and too liberally...you can't take it out. :rolleyes:

Can't beat it with Lea and perrins and warm bread.

When I get sick of it, I add tomato puree and herbs ..sometimes curry paste too.

Your butcher is a robber LOL ..a couple of quid for a ham shank is plenty.

t

PS Don't buy the dried peas with the tablets...that's for mushy peas really, get them loose they are cheaper.

PasturesNew

If in doubt, a "quick fix" would be to scoop out the peas and chuck in a couple of tins of marrowfat peas instead.

They're the same things.

23rdspiral

i used those no-soak peas just in the s/c with the hock, some chopped carrots and onions, hour on high then all day on low, and the result was lovely. spooned out some of the more intact peas to eat with some meat and the veg and some roast pots, then had the left over meat and beautifully flavoured peas for lots of portions of pea and ham soup.

i didnt use the tablet. i normally use 'green split peas' from sainsburys or local whole food shop but thought i should use up that odd pacekt in the pantry. it was fine. no, actually, it was fabulous!

Stephen_Leak

I never use the "tablet thing", either.

gilligansyle

is76 wrote: »

Right so I bought a ham hock at butchers £3.75! (ehm, thought it would be cheaper)



Be gentle, this my first time with a hock. Which I have stripped and now got some lovely ham off it. Which I might add to my soup...

How much!!:eek::eek: No more than a couple of quid in future.

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

TIPS

Pea & ham soup can be any consistency from a thin liquid with soft peas floating in it to a thick paste you can stand a spoon up in.

:rotfl:My dad used to say that the test of decent pea and ham soup was to let it go cold, if you could slice it then it was fine.

Olliebeak

gilligansyle wrote: »

.......My dad used to say that the test of decent pea and ham soup was to let it go cold, if you could slice it then it was fine.

Yup - sounds familiar to me as well .

zippychick

I;ve never had pea and ham soup? Is it nice? Need to get back into eating more soups, lose a bit of weight!

my ham hocks cost £2.50 cooked or not. I will get uncooked and do your method for this next one Stephen , do you pick the ham off and put it in the soup then?