Pea-Soup

Ingredients

• a quart of split peas
• two quarts of liquor
• one good-sized head of celery
• four good-sized onions
• two carrots
• two turnips
• a little parsley
• pepper
• salt

Method

1. 1

   Soak the split peas in fresh water for nearly a day with a piece of soda.

2. 2

   Strain and add to the greasy stock.

3. 3

   Boil with celery, onions, carrots, turnips, and parsley until soft.

4. 4

   Strain through a wire sieve, rubbing the mixture through to create a smooth puree.

Nutrition per serving

As published

This recipe was extracted from Common-sense papers on cookery (1880) by A. G. Payne, page 74. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

pea-soup. 184 Common-sense Cookery. Persons who affect to despise pea-soup should remem- ber that it is one of the most variable soups ever made. Poor pea-soup, which really owes almost its whole goodness to the split-peas from which it is made, is indeed poor stuff for epicures, though a very cheap and wholesome form of nourishment for the hungry poor. Good pea-soup is an exceedingly delicious compound, and I will describe how to make it. First of all, one great advantage of pea-soup is that a greasy stock, scarcely adapted to make any other kind of soup, is really best suited for the purpose. For instance, the water in which a large piece of pickled pork has been boiled, or even the greasy water in which ham or bacon has been boiled, is admirably adapted for making pea-soup. As a rule, the water used for boiling salt beef is too salt to be used for making soup ; however, very often by soaking a piece of salt beef in fresh water for twenty-four hours before boiling it, the liquor left will be found to be not too salt for making pea-soup — the cook of course remem- bering that no further salt is added. We will suppose, therefore, that some stock, or rather some greasy liquor, has been left, say in quan- tity about two quarts ; and I would here suggest that the water in which, say, a piece of fresh silverside of beef has been boiled, should be used again to boil, say, a good-sized piece of bacon, that may be eaten hot Food for Cold Weather. 185 with some roast fowls one day, and afterwards left as a cold breakfast-dish. First of all, take a quart of split peas and put them into a large basin, and let them soak in fresh water for nearly a day, a little piece of soda rather bigger than a pea being put into the water, to render it softer. Should any of the peas float on the water, take them off and throw them away. Next, strain off these peas, and put them in the greasy stock mentioned to boil, and add to the two quarts of liquor one good-sized head of celery, four good-sized onions, two carrots, two turnips, and a little parsley. Let all this boil till the whole is thoroughly soft, occasionally skimming the soup, taking off that nasty thick film of fat which will occasionally rise to the surface. When the peas are thoroughly soft, strain the whole through a wire sieve into a large basin ; pick out the stalk of the parsley, and with a good-sized wooden spoon rub the whole through the wire sieve. This is the great secret of good soup. Too often the cook will not take the trouble to send the whole through the sieve. It is undoubtedly a troublesome affair, and very apt to make the wrist ache. However, the result well repays the trouble, and the cook gene- rally can call some one to her assistance to take a turn with the spoon. It will also be found advisable every now and then to moisten the ingredients in the sieve with some of the liquor that has run through ; this i86 Common-sense Cookery. rather helps the process. Now soup made in this way, in which the head of celery, the onions, the carrots, the turnips, are all sent through the sieve, as well as the peas, is a very different affair from soup which has been simply flavoured by having them boiled in it. Indeed pea-soup should really be called puree of peas, and when pains is taken in its composi- tion a very nice puree it is. Pea-soup should, of course, be sent to table hot, and as it possesses, like all purees, the power of retain- ing its heat for some time, it is the better adapted for cold weather. Some dried mint and some small pieces of toasted bread should always be sent to table with pea-soup ; or small pieces of bread cut square, the shape of very small dice, may be fried a bright-golden colour in some hot lard. These pieces of bread, owing to their being crisper than toast, are better adapted for all sorts of purdes, such as puree of Jerusalem artichokes or Pales- tine soup ; the pieces of bread being dried after frying, on some blotting-paper. With regard to the mint, take care to have it well sifted. If the mint is properly dried it will crumble easily on being pinched with the fingers, but the only way to avoid the stalks is to sift it. Mint can be bought ready dried in bottles in Covent - Garden Market, and at all good greengrocers’; and as a Food for Cold Weather. 187 small sixpenny bottle will last a twelvemonth pro- bably, and keep good almost for ever if well corked, it is advisable always to have a bottle in the house. Another very excellent dish for cold weather is Irish stew. Irish stew has the following strong points in its favour as a dish for cold weather : — First it retains the heat for a long time ; secondly, it contains a con- siderable amount of fat ; and thirdly, which makes it a desirable dish for all weathers, is, it is probably the most economical dish ever sent to table. The best joint for making Irish stew is neck of mutton. First cut off nearly all the fat, the reason being that when mutton is boiled the fat swells enormously. The fat that is cut off will make an admirable suet pudding — another dish adapted for cold weather — that can be flavoured with grated lemon-peel. First pare about four pounds of potatoes, and cut them into slices, and allow them to boil for about a quarter of an hour ; by this means the water contained in the potatoes will be extracted, and all water held in roots is far from wholesome. Next slice up five large onions, cutting them crossways, so that circular rings fall in slicing. Next take a good-sized stew-pan — an enamelled one is best — and cover the bottom with slices of potato and onions ; add a little pepper

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.