Pea & Ham Soup

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg frozen peas
• 1.5 liters stock (veg or chicken)
• 1 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1/2 brown onion (diced)
• 5 g mint
• 30 g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ham hock
• 1/2 lemon
• 6 peppercorns (optional)
• 1 dried chili (optional)
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 4-6 tbsp cream
• mint leaves
• 50 g dark chocolate (melted)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Ham Hock ---

2. 2

   Place the ham hock in a saucepan with water, lemon & spices. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 90 minutes or until meat is falling off the bone

3. 3

   Remove meat and place on a baking tray, allow to cool to handle and then separate meat from the bone/fat

4. 4

   --- Soup ---

5. 5

   In a saucepan sweat the onion & garlic in the butter and oil for 2-3 minutes or until soft

6. 6

   Add stock and cook for a further 3 minutes

7. 7

   Remove from the heat, add frozen peas and using a stick blender blend until smooth

8. 8

   Pass the soup through a sieve to remove any lumps

9. 9

   --- Assembly ---

10. 10

    Place as much/little soup as you want in a bowl

11. 11

    Add a small handful of ham hocks to the centre of the soup, drizzle with a tbsp cream and melted chocolate and finish with a few mint leaves