Lancashire Pea and Ham Soup

 

Once again, delightful memories of childhood, this soup was a winter staple at our house and this recipe has been passed down for at least 4 generations.

There is a lot of history to pea soup and not just in Lancashire, The traditional English pea soup was made with dried peas, and its greeny-brown colour was so similar to the dense smog that dominated London in the winter (until as late as the 1960s), that the smog became known as a ‘pea-souper’. In Bleak House, Dickens referred to the fog as the ‘London Particular’, and the name has been used for both fog and soup ever since.

Dried peas are a healthy and nutritious low-cost vegetable. They make an excellent meal extender and when puréed, they form the base of many dishes from the traditional pea soup to the more unusual vegetable pâtés and fritters.

Soak and cook more dried peas than necessary. They can be refrigerated or frozen all set to serve as a vegetable or added to casseroles, pies, and soups. It is a little less trouble to make the soup with split peas, which have no skins, and here there is a selection of green or yellow. While there is no difference in the taste, the latter give the soup a pleasing golden colour.

Serves/Makes: 10 servings

Prep-Time: 10 minutes

Cook-Time: 2 hours

The Glens Tags: Broths, Chowders, Consommés, Vegetable and Meat Soups, Ham, Lancashire, Family Recipes

You Will Need;

1 pound, marrowfat peas (dried)

8 cups, ham stock, if at all possible homemade (see below)

2 ribs of celery, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 teaspoons, fresh thyme leaves (1 teaspoon dried)

½-teaspoon cracked black pepper

½-teaspoon sea salt

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups diced ham, preferably from the ham hock you have just used to make the stock

Method:

Soak the peas as directed on the packet (or see notes) then in a large soup pan add the peas, water celery, carrots, onion, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes now reduce the heat to slow simmer cover the pan and cook 45 to 60 minutes until the peas are tender.

Add the parsley and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes until thick now you can puree the peas in a blender or pass through a sieve or just leave as is if you like a chunky soup. Fine-tune the seasoning, add the diced ham, and serve with a swirl of cream or a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top.

A Few Notes about Dried Peas Soaking Dried Peas;

Overnight Method, Put 1 cup / 200grams / 7 ounces dried peas into a large bowl with 3 cups / 700ml / 1¼ pints tepid water. Do not add any salt.

Quick soak Method, Put 1 cup / 200grams / 7 ounces dried peas into a large saucepan with 3 cups / 700ml / 1¼ pints water. Bring to the boil and continue to boil for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Cover pan and leave to stand for one hour.

DO NOT EAT RAW SOAKED PEAS

Cooking dried peas, on the stove drain the water from the soaked peas and move peas to a large saucepan. Cover with plenty of fresh water, cover and bring slowly to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to a simmer cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender. The longer the soaking time, the shorter the cooking time. If necessary add salt during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

In a slow cooker, proceed as above, adding to the slow cooker after boiling rapidly on the stove for 10 minutes.

In the microwave, soak 225g (½ lb) dried peas overnight. Drain peas then transfer to a 2 litre (3½ pt) glass bowl. Add sufficient boiling water to come 1.25cm (½") above peas. Cover and stand bowl on glass plate in case water boils over. Cook on full power for 30 minutes, checking water level after 20 minutes. Top up with boiling water if necessary. Keep covered and leave to stand for 10 minutes. 650-watt microwave.

Store dried peas at room temperature in a covered container for up to one year. Canned peas should be stored in a cool dry place and should be used within one year.

Soaked or cooked dried peas can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Cooked dried peas can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ham Stock

Ham stock is simple to make and it’s incredibly useful for enriching sauces and soups. Ham stock is very gelatinous and after being left in the fridge overnight, it will turn to meat jelly. Ooh scrumptious meat jellies.

Serves/Makes: 4 to 5 pints

Prep-Time: 10 minutes plus overnight soaking

Cook-Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Tags: Stocks, Bouillons, Ham, Ham Hock

You Will Need;

1 ham hock, about 2 pounds (900 grams) in weight

6 pints water (3.5 litres)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 onions, peeled and chopped

1 head of celery, washed and chopped

12 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Method:

Do not whatsoever add salt it does not need it.

To start the stock, cover the ham hock with cold water and soak overnight.

Drain off the soaking water, and cover the ham hock with the measured cold water, bring to the boil and skim off any scum, then add the carrots, onions and celery, leave simmer gently (we call this ticking over) for about 30 minutes, then add the peppercorns and bay leaf, lightly simmer 2 hours until the ham is cooked through.

Watch it carefully; you do not want the stock to reduce too much, strain off the stock, Put the ham to one side, and discard the vegetables and flavourings the ham you can use foe soups, sandwiches and even salads for pea and ham soup you will need about 3 pints.

Molly’s Mushy Peas

Ooh, these are easily the most excellent when it comes to mushy peas for “Fish ‘n’ Chips”

The peas used should be the dried marrowfat ones, the best ones we have found in the UK are Bachelors Bigga Marrowfat Peas but really most brands will make excellent mushy peas.

They are a traditional northern English accompaniment to fish and chips and all over Northern England, they are commonly served as part of the popular snack of pie and peas (akin to the Australian pie floater, but with mushy peas instead of a thick pea soup) and are considered a part of traditional British cuisine. Mushy peas are also sometimes served in batter as a pea fritter.

Marrowfat peas can also be bought in canned, the most popular brand is “Farrow’s Giant Marrowfat Processed Peas”, these can be used as a substitute for mushy peas.

• Serves / Makes: 4

• Prep-Time: 12 hours

• Cook-Time: 2 hours

The Glens Tags: Mushy Peas, Lancashire, Traditional

You Will Need;

1. 8 ounces, dried marrowfat peas (see note)
2. 1-teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3. 1¼ ounce, butter
4. Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Soak the peas in a large bowl, in three times their volume of water with the bicarbonate of soda overnight at least 12 hours
• Drain the peas, rinse under the tap, and place on the stove in a large pan and cover with water, (about an inch or so above the peas). Cover and bring to the boil and once boiled, reduce the heat and simmer the peas for 1½-2 hours, stirring from time to time, part way through check the top of the cooking liquid and skim off any foam
• The peas should be soft and mushy in texture but not too dry. If they are wet, continue cooking over the heat with the lid off to dry out a little. Beat in the butter and season, season only at the end, as if you do so before that the peas will be tough.
• Add a little water to the mixture to loosen the mushy peas to the consistency you like.
• Mushy peas freeze well.

If you live in America and Canada and don't want to wait overnight or can't find dried marrowfat peas, just use drained canned marrowfat peas mashed with a knob of butter, and seasoned.

Note; Marrowfat peas are green mature peas that have been allowed to dry out naturally in the field, rather than be harvested in their prime of youth like the normal garden pea. They are used to make Mushy Peas.

Parched peas (Carlin Peas, Pigeon Peas)

Parched peas, Carlin Peas, do you remember them from your childhood?
Also known as Maple Peas, Brown Peas, Pigeon Peas and even Black badgers and Grey Badgers, are an ancient pea or marl, documented in the reign of Elizabeth 1.

They more or less originated in the gardens of the early Middle ages monasteries, when peas and beans formed a huge part of the staple diet. They grow to approximately six feet high, and display striking purple and white blossoms, and they crop profusely. The peas, which can be used fresh, or dried for winter use, have a unique flavour, often described as a mediaeval mushy pea.

Carlin peas are better known in the north of England, black peas are by tradition eaten in the Blackburn, Preston and Bolton areas of Lancashire just about the time of Bonfire/Halloween night and we used to get them at the various winter fairs. The preparation is a little different to most other methods, we will soak them for 24-48 hours, then simmer until they have gone mushy (adding salt during cooking stops them from softening), salt and vinegar is added just before eating.

Carlin Sunday used to be generally observed in and around Carlisle, back in the days when the State Management ran the local pubs. Regulars would be given Carlins, usually in a plastic cup, liberally covered with vinegar, salt and pepper. This is a favourite Cumbrian recipe of mine;
Soak the Carlins together with a ham shank overnight, rinse, fill the pot with clean water, bring to the boil, skim off any scum, add the chopped vegetables and allow to simmer as long as you like, remove the shank, remove the fat, chop up the meat and return to the pot.
The tradition has died out since the big breweries moved in, but if you try hard enough you'll find Carlins in one or two pubs, I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like them!
In the Northeast traditionally children were given them to eat on Carlin Sunday, after a special church service, a little like Harvest Festival. In Nottingham the cooked peas were sold at the annual Goose Fair until the late fifties.

Here is a Geordie recipe for Carlin Peas;
Preparation Time is about three minutes, plus overnight soaking. Cooking Time is around 25 minutes
This recipe serve serves four people

INGREDIENTS
½lb (200g) Carlin peas
Pinch of salt
1oz (25g) of beef dripping (or butter)
Some soft brown sugar (optional and not usually used in the North East)
A splash of rum (optional)

Soak the Carlin peas in cold water overnight. Drain and put them in a saucepan of boiling water with salt. Boil for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked but not overdone or mushy.
Melt the beef dripping (or butter) in a frying pan, drain the Carlins and then add them to the pan and fry for two to three minutes.
Serve hot with salt, vinegar and pepper. Or you can leave them to cool for a tasty nibble later. Alternatively, while still hot, you can add the brown sugar and a drop or rum.