I’m not sure who loathes winter more, Merlot or me. I figure she gets the prize, what with having to dodge the Cape rain to go ‘do her business’ outside. (It’s amazing how quick a cat can be when she needs to.) Nonetheless, it’s a close call. A steaming bowl of thick split pea soup packed with smokey, meaty flavour is one of the few things I appreciate about winter. With just three ingredients, this is one of my all-time favourites – real lazy-cook stuff. Best of all, it will feed six for under R50! Double up on this recipe and freeze individual portions – perfect for icy winter evenings when all you want to do is huddle in front of the fire in your passion-killer bunny slippers.
All you need is…
1 large smoked Eisbein (Checkers often stocks it)
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 packet split peas
black pepper
Put the meat, onion and a quarter teaspoon crushed black pepper in a thick-bottomed stock pot and only just cover with lukewarm water. Bring to the boil, cover and cook slowly on a low heat for two and a half to three hours. This is laid-back Saturday afternoon stuff, it can’t be hurried. Check occasionally to see if more water is needed, but don’t overdo it (you don’t want your final soup too watery). As long as the hock is covered halfway, you’re good.
When the meat is fall-off-the-bone soft, it’s ready. Remove it and set aside to cool. Now add the split peas to the water you cooked the meat in. Cook slowly until they’re soft and start to break up (50-60 minutes). Stir occasionally as they tend to stick to the bottom. In the meantime, strip the fatty layer off the hock and discard. Tear the meat into strips. Add the shredded meat to the soup once the peas are cooked. If you think it’s too thick, now’s the time to add a bit more water. Check for salt (it probably won’t need any as the smoked hock tends to be salty). A grinding of black pepper and your split pea soup is ready.
serves
6
prep
10 min
cook
3 hours
good to know
Instant fat banisher
If you’re worried about your waistline or your cholesterol, you can remove any fat from the broth before you add the split peas. Do it the old-fashioned way by allowing the broth to cool and scooping the fat off the top. Or do it in 10 seconds!
Simply fill a colander or large sieve with ice cubes. Pour the broth over it. The fat will solidify on the ice, leaving you with instant reduced-fat broth. Fat is flavour though, so I prefer mine with all that rich goodness. I just make like a French woman, and eat a bit less.
enjoy with
When I think of sherry, I’m still tempted to think of something sweet that purple-rinsed elderly ladies sip from teeny crystal glasses in larney drawing rooms.
Not so. Treat it like a wine (which it is) and serve it cold with a meal. Pale Dry from Monis (not called sherry anymore as the European Union would be apoplectic) is perfect. If you prefer it sweeter, grab the Medium Cream.
Good morning
Thank you for a really fantastic site. I read all your recipe’s with much interest. I am looking for an old fashioned Potato Yeast Bread recipe. I love the really old South African recipe’s they are really interesting and usually more tasty than the new one’s. Thank you again
Kind regards
Carol
Dear Carol,
The only way my mum and gran made bread was with such an old fashioned home-grown yeast. My mum kept hers for yonks (giving it more tender attention than her kids at times!) and called it her ‘plantjie’. I’ve been meaning to grow my own so I can recreate the bread I grew up with. Watch this space!
Die resep is dei naaste wat ek nog kon vind aan wat my Ouma gemaak het! Dis regtig heerlik!
So bly!