Pease Pottage

Origin: British      Period: Elizabethan

Original Recipe

My Lord Lumley's Pease-Porage (from Sir Kenelm Gigby The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight, Opened

Take two quarts of Pease, and put them into an Ordinary quantity of Water, and when they are almost boiled, take out a pint of the Pease whole, and strain all the rest. A little before you take out the pint of Pease, when they are all boiling together, put in almost an Ounce of Coriander-seed beaten very small, one Onion, some Mint, Parsley, Winter-savoury, Sweet-Marjoram, all minced very small; when you have strained the Pease, put in the whole Pease and the strained again into the pot, and let them boil again, and a little before you take them up, put in half a pound of Sweet-butter. You must season them in due time, and in the ordinary proportion with Pepper and Salt.
This is a proportion to make about a Gallon of Pease-porage. The quantities are set down by guess. The Coriander-seeds are as much as you can conveniently take in the hollow of your hand. You may put in a great good Onion or two. A pretty deal of Parsley, and if you will, and the season afford them, you may add what you like of other Porage herbs, such as they use for their Porages in France. But if you take the savoury herbs dry, you must crumble or beat them to small Powder (as you do the Coriander-seed) and if any part of them be too big to pass through the strainer, after they have given their taste to the quantity, in boiling a sufficient while therein, you put them away with the husks of the Pease. The Pint of Pease that you reserve whole, is only to show that it is Pease-porage. They must be of the thickness of ordinary Pease-porage. For which these proportions will make about a Gallon.

Pease Pottage was one of the most common dishes eaten by sailors during the 1600s, using the shipboard staples of dried peas and salted meat. This simple dish, with perhaps a few herbs added was also frequently eaten by ordinary people during winter and early spring; once again because dried peas and salted meat were available even during the lean winter months. As a result I'm diverting from Digby's recipe a little in the addition of bacon to the recipe.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

340g dried peas, washed and picked over (to remove any black ones)
2l water (and additional water for soaking the peas)
120g thick-sliced bacon, coarsely chopped
10g ground coriander seed
1 small onion, finely chopped
⅛ tsp each of mint, parsley, winter savory and marjoram
80g butter
salt and pepper for seasoning

Method:

Place the dried peas in a bowl and add enough water to cover them by about 8cm. Leave over night to soak. The following morning drain the peas and discard the water. Place the peas and the bacon in a large pot and add 2l of water. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and allow to simmer gently (uncovered) for two hours (add more water if needed to prevent the peas from burning.

About twenty minutes before the cooking time is over add the coriander, onion and herbs. Continue cooking for a further twenty minutes then drain the peas and discard the water. Place the peas back in the pot, add the butter, season with salt and pepper and mash to a smooth paste. If you want a nautical theme serve this as a starter with water biscuits or use as an accompaniment to meat dishes.

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