A quick dinner on a weeknight. Savory bacon and Canadian bacon make this a filling soup.
Ingredients:
1 lb dried split peas
3 oz bacon ends (or 3-4 slices of thick cut bacon)
Carrots
Celery
1/2 medium onion
6 oz ham (I used Canadian bacon, if you have a ham bone, by all mean use it!)
6- 8 cups hot water
Slice the vegetables - a mandolin makes short work of them. Chop the bacon ends.
Chop the canadian bacon or the ham.
Start the bacon.
When the bacon has rendered fat, add the vegetables.
Add the peas, the water and the Canadian bacon (or ham).
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until peas are tender.
Do you have an immersion blender? Now is the time to use it. Or a blender. If you use a blender, blend soup a little at a time.
A little stir of plain yogurt, a splash of vinegar. Dinner is served.
The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
Hi David; I have been served "Canadian Bacon" several times whilst on holiday in the USA, but it seems different each time. What would you consider to be the definitive version? Is it the shape; is it the cure; is it the thickness of the cut, or what?
ReplyDeleteGood question Mark!
ReplyDeleteCanadian bacon is from the loin, so it is much leaner than bacon made from pork belly. It more closely resembles ham in taste and texture (which is why I used it in this soup).
The curing and smoking process is much the same, but traditionally CB is cut much thicker Also CB won't render fat. If you cooked it crisp as belly bacon, it will be dry and tough.
Commercial CB is often sold in perfect rounds, well any meat that is perfectly shaped is somewhat suspect in my mind, likely it is chopped, pressed and formed.
OK, I understand now, thanks. So what do you guys call the really thin bacon served cooked crispy with waffles and maple syrup (which I love...)?
ReplyDeleteBacon!
ReplyDelete