The soup that killed a king
Soup made from dried yellow peas and cured belly pork is in my view the most traditional and typical of the Swedish traditional kitchen. We know that pea soup has been eaten as far back at the 13th century, but there is all reason to believe the dish is far older than that.
An excellent dish for the larger household since it really benefits from being cooked in large quantities, and it’s the ultimate one-pot-meal. Chuck the soaked peas into a pot together with some cured belly pork and onion, add water to cover and a bit more then pop it on the heat source of your choice and leave it for a couple of hours whilst you do something interesting.
Back in the days when I could have dinner parties “peas and Swedish Punsch Thursday” was always a popular event. If my guests didn’t appreciate the pea soup or the Swedish Punsch, they certainly did the pancake which traditionally follow as a dessert.
This dish is excellent use of both pressure cooker and slow cooker. If you use a pressure cooker there’s no need for soaking the peas overnight, and with a slow cooker you simply put the peas to soak before going to bed the day prior to cooking and then pop them in the slow cooker in the morning before work.
NM 4617
So, what about the king?
Erik XIV was king of Sweden between 1560 and 1568, when he was deposed for being as mad as a hatter. Obviously the reasons behind his deposement was far more complex – he’d managed to alienate not only his half-brothers, the dukes, but also large portions of the powerful nobility, partly because he’d snuffed their daughters and instead married his fancy woman – the daughter of a miller.
He was held prisoner for nine years until he died at Örbyhus Castle in 1577, according to popular legend after being given poisoned pea soup.
Is it true? In the 1950’s his grave was opened and his remains exhumed. They did find evidence that he’d been poisoned with arsenic, but sadly found no proof for the infamous pea soup.
Pea and ham soup
Ingredients
- 400 g dried yellow peas yellow split peas can be used
- 1500 ml water for soaking
- 1500 ml vegetable stock
- 500 g cured belly pork
- 2 onions peeled and quartered
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger peeled and cut into large chunks
- 3 tsp dried marjoram can be substitued with thyme
- 4 whole cloves
- 5 allspice grains
- 12 black pepper grains
- salt to taste
- white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak the peas for 12 hours prior to cooking. If you use a pressure cooker, this step is optional.
- In a large saucepan, combine and all ingredients. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer covered until the peas are soft, roughly 2 hours.
- Occasionally stir the pot and skim off any foam and pea shells.
- I like my soup fairly thick, almost like a stew, but if you prefer your's thinner you can just add a bit more stock.
- Remove the chunk of belly pork from the pot, cut into pieces and place back into soup.
- Most Swedes will have a dollop of mustard on the side, but it's optional.
Notes
Pea soup, and pancake for dessert, is traditional to eat on Thursdays. Swedish pancakes are thin, like crêpes, and usually eaten with a dollop of cream and jam. If serving more people than just my husband and myself I tend to make what we call an oven pancake instead. This resembles a massive Yorkshire pudding. Recipe here.
To go the extra mile, if serving this to guests, try to get hold of Swedish Punsch. If you can't it's not terribly difficult to mix it yourself. Marcia Simmons has a good recipe here.