Split Pea Soup & Wonderful Ham

Welcome!  This is Split Pea Soup, don’t let it’s looks fool you, it is a wonderful, Heavenly substance.  The footprint for this version is Emeril Lagasse’s Split Pea and Ham Hock Soup that I snagged off the Food Network website a long time ago, you can tell from all the food I've spilled on it over the years.  What you don’t see in the picture below is the Ham Stock and Leftover Christmas Ham that went into it, the recipe for Nigella Lawson’s Coca-Cola Ham and Stock is below, but feel free to use just chicken stock and regular ham.  I also added a random handful of red lentils that have been hanging out in my cabinet.  This is not a thin soupy Split Pea Soup, this is thick and stew like, which is what you need when you start out your week with wind chills in the -50 degrees zone. 

Split Pea Soup with Nigella’s Ham

2 Tbsp. Bacon Grease

3 medium Onions chopped (the ones that come in the bag at the grocery store)

1 cup Carrots, chopped

1 cup Celery, chopped

3 tbsp. Garlic, minced

2 Quarts Ham Stock

1 ½ lb. Split Peas

¾ cup Red Lentils

1 ham Hock

2 Cups Diced Ham

Heavy Cream

Either fry yourself up some bacon to get some grease, or if you are a little goofy like me and you happen to have some bacon fat in saved the fridge for uses such as this, drop in a couple of tablespoons and let it melt. 

Sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions start to soften and turn translucent.  Add the stock, peas (and lentils if you happen to have an annoying ¾ cup left hanging around in your cupboard), and ham hock. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, I keep it covered, for an hour or so until the peas and lentils are tender.  Take out the ham hock, and if the soup is thick enough for you add the chopped ham and heat through.  If you want it thicker, take your immersion blender to it, mash it with a potato masher, or blend it up in your blender till you get it where you want it.  

At this point in time, add the heavy cream in small amounts to your taste, and go ahead and salt and pepper at this point.   Because the ham and the ham stock were so salty to begin with I barely added any salt, just do it to your taste. 

Nigella’s Ham, and subsequently Ham Stock

I am a Nigella Lawson addict. . . LOVE HER!  In any case, it doesn't feel like Christmas to me unless I have her Coca-Cola ham at some point in time during the season.   So here is her recipe, minus her glazing instructions, I don’t take credit, it’s hers, and it is magnificent.

2 liters Coke

1-5 lb bone in Ham (I usually do a spiral cut), fully cooked

1 medium onion, halved

Put the ham in a large pot, add the onion, and pour the coke over it until covered. Depending on the size of the ham to pan ratio, you may want to get an extra liter of coke just in case the first one doesn't cover it.  Bring to a boil and let it go for an hour.  Glaze it or not per the ham’s instructions (there is usually a package with the ham).  Now, here is the crucial part, what you need to do is freeze the leftovers, and for Heaven’s sake bag up and freeze the stock.  It is so good in black bean soup, split pea soup, anything with beans is wonderful when you use this stock.