Split pea and ham soup

Ingredients

1 lb ham chopped

4 slices of bacon chopped

1 large onion diced

4 cloves of garlic crushed
1-2 large carrots diced
3 stalks celery diced

900g split yellow peas

8 cups chicken broth

8 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

ground black pepper

whole peppercorns

Directions 

If you are using a country ham, it will normally include the bone and will be much saltier than 'city' hams. You might want to substitute the chicken broth with water instead. Take your ham with bone and place in a large cauldron. Add chicken broth and water.  Crush the dried thyme leaves into a fine powder and add to the pot along with the bay leaves and whole peppercorns. Boil on medium heat for about half an hour so the ingredients impart all its flavour into the liquid. You'll want to separate the broth using a strainer into another container. Strip the meat from the bone and chop it up. Set aside. You can discard the bay leaves and peppercorns.

Next take the empty cauldron and fry the bacon. Alternatively you can skip the bacon, but you'll want to use lard to make the mirepoix. The fat used in this dish is appropriate as it was a traditional staple for French settlers and explorers who came to Canada in the 16th century. Unlike modern day office workers, the pioneers needed a lot of calories to survive the cold Canadian winters. Turn heat down to low and toss in the carrots with the lovely bacon fat. Cook for about about 5-10 minutes. The carrots are firmer than the onions and celery so we want to give it a bit more time to cook. Now toss in onions, celery and garlic and continue sweating the vegetables for another 10-15 minutes. In French culinary terms this mixture is called a mirepoix which usually is a ratio 0f 1:2:1. 1 part celery, 2 part onion, 1 part carrots. You don't want to caramelize them, but just to bring out the flavours of the vegetables. Finally add in the dried peas. You can use split green peas, but I prefer to use yellow peas as they are milder and have a nuttier taste. I find the green variety has a strong pea flavour that tends to overpower the soup. 

Let the soup mixture simmer for at least two to three hours. More if you have the time. I prefer the soup to have the consistency and texture of mushy peas. Really thick soup you can scoop up with buttered bread. Alternatively you can cook the peas in the broth before adding all the other ingredients. Once the peas have softened, you can transfer the peas into a blender for a more smooth creamy consistency and then add in the mirepoix for the final cooking. This extra step will increase the cooking time. Once it's to your liking, add in the ham and serve. Taste it first before adding salt as the ham will have imparted a lot of its saltiness to the dish. This soup freezes well.