I purchased a package of yellow and green split peas at the market and thought how delicious a ham and split pea soup would be. I remember the smell of smoked hams in the old smoke house on the farm so I decided to cook and smoke a ham over an open wood fire.
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| Step one…build a fire. |
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| Buddy helped… |
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| I used a grill rack and two metal fence posts to support my ham and placed it over indirect heat. |
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| I placed a cook pot over the top of the ham to capture the smoke and heat. |
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| Buddy and Georgie kept a watchful eye… |
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Georgie was exceptionally interested…
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| Once the meat cooled, I trimmed the fat and sliced the outer layers of meat for later use. |
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| Rinsed the peas and removed any foreign pieces… |
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| Returned the bone and the attached meat to a stock pot with 2 quarts of water 3 Bay leaves and 5 cloves of garlic. (Strain the stock before using in soup)
I now have more meat to pull off the bones and add to my soup. |
Here is my final recipe…
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Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
2 quarts of smoked ham stock (or chicken broth)
1 medium onion chopped
2 medium potatoes chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
3 Bay leaves
3 cups pulled ham (or use precooked ham)
2 cups split yellow and green peas
salt and pepper to taste
Bring stock to a boil and add the potatoes, celery and onion. Cook for 10-12 minutes till vegetables start to tender.
Reduce to simmer; add the bay leaves, peas and ham. Simmer for 1 hour or more till peas are soft and tender. Stir on occasion smashing some of the potatoes against the side of the pot to help thicken.
Garnish with fresh parsley and ENJOY your soup!
Serves 6-8