smoked pork leg

I have at home the second edition of Jaan Koort’s cookbook from 1896. There are four recipes dedicated to pea soup, all recipes used fresh peas to make the soup. Maybe it wasn’t customary to dry and preserve peas at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, but one thing is for sure – pea soup plays an important role in Estonian food culture.
Pea soup was made and eaten long before the birth of the Estonian nation, it has already been mentioned in ancient Greek writings. Pea soup was and still is eaten at large gatherings, it is a common food in the army, it is available in preserved soluble and dried instant soup variants.
In Estonia, pea soup with smoked pork is a classic fastelavn festival food. I am posting here a recipe for pea soup, which I plan to offer on the fastelavn day in 2021 to my colleagues and also to the clients of Café Crepp.
Making this soup requires a bit of effort and patience, but the result is enjoyable.

Preparation time: Soaking peas and barley groats overnight, cooking smoked pork leg for 2-3 hours, cooking soup for 1.5 hours.
Level: easy
Quantity: for four to eight

Ingredients:
300 g of dried peeled peas
150 g of barley groats
1 medium carrot
500 g smoked pork leg
1 medium onion
2.5-3L of water
Salt,  soup herbs (optional), and black pepper for seasoning
Herbs for serving
If desired, sour cream to eat with soup

Preparation:
1. Boil the smoked pork leg on low heat for 2-3 hours until the meat is completely tender. When the liquid starts to boil, the foam may be released from the code, which should be removed
2. Soak peas and groats in water overnight at room temperature. If necessary, add water in the meantime once it has been absorbed
3. Separate the meat from the bones, remove the rind if you do not want to eat it, and chop the meat into pieces of the desired size
4. Chop the onion and fry slightly in a pan
4. Bring the water to a boil with peas and groats, peel the carrots, chop into suitable pieces and add to the soup. Boil for about an hour. Season with salt and pepper and dried herbs
5. Add the cut meat to the soup and cook until the peas and groats are soft. If the soup seems too thick, add water and season.
Ready !!