Split Pea Soup Recipe

Place the gammon in a very large pan with 2 litres water and bring it to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off the water; this helps to get rid of some of the saltiness from the ham.

Refill the pan with another 2 litres cold water and bring it to a boil again. Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the frozen peas, to the pan. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1½-2½ hours. You'll want to top up the water as needed to keep it at roughly the same level it started. As the ham softens, you can cut it in half to ensure it stays fully submerged. The ham is ready when it's tender enough to pull into shreds.

Carefully lift the ham out of the pot, peel off the skin, and discard it. While the ham is still hot (wearing a clean pair of rubber gloves can make shredding easier), pull the meat into shreds.

Remove the bay leaves from the soup, then stir in the frozen peas. Let it simmer for just 1 minute, then blend the soup until it's completely smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out. If you're making this ahead or it's cooled down, return it to the pan to heat through.