Well, if raw meat is not a sight you particularly relish, you might be tempted to turn away from this page before you get very far.  I encourage you to hang in and see it to the end.

The recipe involves a bit of chopping just as most of my soup recipes do.  Get yourself a good knife, a large cutting board and you will find the chopping part goes quick and efficiently.

With this recipe you will serve 6 hungry people

I have adjusted and edited this recipe from it’s original.  If you have made it before, you will find this edition easier and with several steps omitted.

1 ham hock (which you will find at a butcher or a market)

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced celery

2 medium onions diced

3 cups potatoes.  I like to use small white potatoes.  You can leave the skin on.  Just wash them.  If you use small ones, cut into quarters.  If you use large potatoes, which are almost always less expensive, cut into bite size pieces.

a few sprigs fresh *thyme.   Let’s say 6 sprigs  (I tie them together with a piece of string and then remove the ‘package’ before serving)  The thyme is not essential.  The meat and the vegetables and chicken stock give it lots of flavour.  

2 cloves garlic roughly chopped

1 cup **SPLIT peas.  The split peas need to be soaked over night before making the soup.  Without soaking, even cooking the soup overnight in the crockpot for eight hours will still leave them crunchy.  If you make this in a pot on the stovetop, they still need to be soaked first.  I made this soup last night and decided to use the two cups.  It is a bit thicker but also delicious and hearty.

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper (I like the coarsely ground kind you can buy at either bulk barn or costco  As a matter of fact, I prefer it to my pepper mill.)

6 cups chicken stock  (I keep a supply in my freezer but you can also buy it at the grocery store)  If you have only 5 cups, add 1 cup of water.  If you have a container with 7 cups in it, just pour the whole thing in. (If using more than 6 cups of liquid I would recommend an extra half cup of split peas)  A little extra liquid is not a problem.  As you can see in the picture below, if my broth is frozen I add it that way.  It melts very quickly.  I just make sure that while it is melting, the temperature is fairly low.  If your broth is frozen in a plastic container, run it under hot water for a minute and it should release from the container, easily.

 

METHOD:

~With a sharp knife, score ham hock in a few areas and place in large heavy stock pot (if you don’t have a heavy stock pot and intend to make soup or stew on a regular basis, please invest in one.  I can’t imagine doing without mine.  you can find one at Caynes in Toronto, or the Bay and many other places.  Well worth the investment)  and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and continue to slowly boil for 45 minutes.  This step will get rid of some of the fat in your meat.

~While ham is boiling, chop vegetables

 

saute onions for 5 minutes in 1 TBLSP. grape seed or sunflower oil and add garlic.   saute on low for another 5 minutes and set aside.  this step always adds flavour to your food, However, it is not necessary.  You can just put the raw vegetables in your pot/crockpot and they cook nicely and add deliciousness.

once meat has cooked for approximately 45 minutes, remove it from the pot onto a cookie sheet or large plate.  Pour liquid down the drain.  Cut away some of the fat on the outside of the meat.  You can let it cool for a few minutes if you find it hard to manage.

place meat back in pot and add

onion and garlic and the rest of the vegetables.

add split peas

add your bundle of thyme.

pour chicken stock into pot

bring to a boil and then turn temperature down and cook covered, on medium heat, for four hours.  You want this soup to have a low bubble when you look in the pot but you don’t want a full boil.  You may need to adjust the heat from time to time.  Or put everything into a crockpot and allow to cook on medium or medium low for 8 hours.  I did the crock pot method last night and when I woke up this morning the meat was falling off the bones.  I put the meat on a cookie sheet and with rubber gloves I removed the meat and fat from the bones, shredded it with my fingers and put it back in the crock pot.  Delicious.

 

When the cooking time is up, remove meat from pot, onto your cookie sheet (make sure it has sides on it).   Reduce soup to a low simmer.  Allow meat to cool for 10 minutes so it is easier to handle.  I put rubber gloves on, which makes it very easy.  I keep rubber gloves on hand for an assortment of uses, not just washing dishes.

You will have quite a lot of waste.  Remove meat from bone and fat.  Place shredded meat back into stock pot and simmer while you prepare your SALAD and fresh bread.

This is a hearty and delicious soup.  I served it to some friends just the other day.  I gave everybody a bowl and then put a salad in the middle of the table with fresh rolls.

For dessert I served mini pavlova (meringues) with lemon curd and fresh berries.

*Fresh Thyme is one of my favourite herbs and I use it a lot

**You can add 2 cups of split peas but this soup will quickly become Pea Soup.  I wanted more of a vegetable chowder containing split peas.  Feel free to add the second cup of split peas if you want more of a thick pea soup.