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1
Check the weight of the joint before you throwaway the plastic covering.
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2
The cooking time will be 25 min per 455g plus 25 min.
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3
Soak the joint in cool water for a couple of hrs to remove any excess salt; alternatively place it in a big saucepan cover with cool water and slowly bring to the boil then throw away the water.
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4
Cover the bacon with fresh cool water and add in the rest of the ingredients for the stock including the pease pudding.
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5
Bring slowly to the boil.
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6
Skim the surface when needed and cover with a lid.
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7
Calculate the cooking time from this point and reduce to a gentle simmer.
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8
Roughly 30 min before the end of its cooking time I like to cook my whole vegetables in with the bacon and its broth.
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9
When the bacon pease pudding and vegetables have reached their cooking time remove them from the saucepan cut the carrots and celery into quarters and put aside.
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10
Remove the rind and excess fat from the bacon.
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11
Remove the pease pudding from the muslin and mash it well with the butter and some black pepper.
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12
Use a little of the strained stock as gravy or possibly as a base for your gravy if desired it thicker.
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13
Serve the ham warm with a dollop of the pease pudding the vegetables some gravy and some English mustard.
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14
Freeze the rest of the stock for soups (great for minestrone).
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15
You can buy some lovely pcs of gammon or possibly hock bacon from the supermarkets.
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16
I always buy the unsmoked bacon for this dish as it is not such a dominant flavour and you can boil it.
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17
Do not forget to soak the split peas the day before.
