London Particular (Pea & Ham) Soup
The thick blankets of fog known as 'pea-soupers' thatused to descend on London are now a thing of the past since the introduction of the 'Clean Air Act' and smokeless fuels. This soup is named after those fogs and it will still keep you warm on a misty autumn evening! Serves 8 as a starter.
INGREDIENTS: Butter - 15 g (* oz), Streaky bacon - 50 g (2 oz), rinded and chopped + extra fried or grilled pieces for garnish, Onion - 1 medium, chopped, Carrot - 1 medium, diced, Celery - 1 stick, chopped, Split dried peas - 450 g (1 lb), Ham or chicken stock - 2.3 litres (4 pints), Natural yogurt - 4 tbsp.
COOKING: 1. Melt the butter, add the bacon, onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables have begun to soften.
2. Add the peas and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the peas are cooked. Liquidise thoroughly.
3.Add the yogurt and reheat gently without boiling. Serve garnished with bacon pieces (and crožtons if you like).