Recipe of the Quarter: Pea and Ham Soup with Bacon and Herb Stuffed Pepperdews, and Bacon Crumbs

2/13/2013

The Singita Cooking School is an 18-month long program created by Singita Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sand, South Africa, to develop culinary skills amongst youth from neighboring communities. Attesting to their newly honed skills, the students created this delectable pea and ham soup with bacon and herb stuffed pepperdews, and bacon crumbs.

Ingredients

• 1 kg peas
  
• 1 kg bacon
  
• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced
  
• 2 liters white chicken stock
  
• 500ml fresh cream
  
• 4 pepperdews (available on-line)
  
• 100g panko bread crumbs
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary and thyme
  
• Olive oil, salt and pepper

Method

1. In a heavy base sauce pan, sweat the onions until they are opaque 
   
2. Add 750 grams of chopped bacon to the onion and brown
   
3. Add 500 grams of the peas and all the chicken stock
   
4. Bring the stock to a boil and reduce by half 
   
5. Add the cream and reduce by half 
   
6. Turn off the heat and add in the rest of the peas 
   
7. Season with salt and pepper and let the soup stand for five minutes 
   
8. Blend and pass through a fine sieve. The soup can be served hot or cold and this recipe will yield approximately 1.75 liters.

Stuffed pepperdews:

1. Cook 100 grams of bacon and dice 
   
2. Mix the bacon, bread crumbs and the herbs, season to taste and stuff the pepperdews. The pepperdews can also be served hot or cold.

Bacon crumbs:

1. Cook the remaining bacon in the oven until very crisp 
   
2. Allow the bacon to cool to room temperature 
   
3. Hand chop the bacon until it resembles crumbs and serve on top of the soup as a nice, simple crunchy garnish

Here's a handy online volume converter you can use to adjust the metric measurements, if necessary.

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