Terry F on 8 Apr 2007  •  Link

Pease porridge = split pea soup

Traditionally eaten on Sundays during Lent.

Recipe:
"Soak peas in water overnight. Then simmer with fresh vegetables for about three hours. Mash vegetables. Add seasoning to taste. Serve hot with buttered croutons."
http://www.catholicculture.org/li…

Various recipes for "Pepys' Pease Porridge" http://theoldfoodie.blogspot.com/…

jeannine on 9 Apr 2007  •  Link

From "Pepys at Table" by
Drive and Berriedale~Johnson p 30-31

"Although dried peas frequently appeared on everyone's table, especially in winter, there are plenty of recipes for fresh pea soup - mot of which are excellent....April would have been early for fresh peas. Mrs. Blencowe's recipe also refers only to 'peas' but it is so good with fresh peas that I am assuming she had it in mind...."

To Make Peas Soope

The Receipt Book of Mrs. Ann Blencoew 1694

'Take about two Quarts of peas and boyl them down till they are thick; then put to them a leeke and a little slice of bacon and a little bunch of sweet herbs and let them boyl till they are broke. Then work them with ye back of a ladle thro a coarse hair sieve; then take about 3 pints of your peas and mix about 3 quarts of a very strong broth and work them very well together. Then sett them over a Stove and let them boyl very easily. Then as for your herbs, take out the quantity of a gallon of soope; take a large handful of spinage and one third of sorrill and one cabbage, Lettice and a little Charvell and Cresses and a head or two of sallery and Indive, and ye heart of a Savoy and a little mint, but mince your mint very small if it be green, but if it be dry, then drie it before ye fire to powder and sift it through a sieve, and mince ye herbs with one leeke very small and put them into a brass dish or saspan with half a pound of butter and let ym stive till they begin to be tender. Then put to them a quart of good gravy or strong broth but gravy is best, and when you have mix't it well then putt it into ye pott to ye pease and a little beaten cloves and mace. So let it stove about half an hour, then have a french roll, either dry'd in the oven or toasted by ye fire, in thin slices, then season ye soope to your palate and serve it up. If you please you may put forced meat balls into it, or any other thing as pallattes and sweetbreads or Combs."

Bill on 8 Apr 2017  •  Link

To make pease porridge.
TAKE a quart of green pease, put to them a quart of water, a bundle of dried mint, and a little salt. Let them boil till the pease are quite tender; then put in some beaten pepper, a piece of butter as big as a walnut, rolled in flour, stir it all together and let it boil a few minutes; then add two quarts of milk, let it boil a quarter of an hour, take out the mint, and serve it up.
---The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy. H. Glasse, 1774.