One of my favorite things to cook on cold winter days is Erwtensoep, or Dutch Pea Soup. It's a Dutch version of "soul food" or simple peasant food that's so satisfying to the senses.
The key ingredient is to have a good stock-- in this case we cooked the ham bone left over from our Christmas ham. It's amazing how much meat is left on a hambone that can then be picked off the bone and cut up for the soup. Simply simmer the hambone for several hours while also soaking a bag of split peas. I like to simmer the split peas for 20 minutes and then soak them for 3-4 hours. After they've finished soaking, drain the water from the peas and rinse them in a colander under fresh running water. Strain the stock so as to remove any chuncks from the hambone. If you cool the stock before adding the peas then you will need to scim off the fat. Drain the water from the peas and add them to the stock. Add a large chopped onion, several chopped carrots, several chopped celery sticks and several boullion cubes to taste. Let the soup simmer for several hours as this will reduce the stock. About an hour before serving, add several cubes potatoes. This will thicken the soup and give it its heartiness. Enjoy with nice bread and a glas of white wine!
No comments:
Post a Comment