Pea Soup

This recipe comes from Mother. I've added to it over the years. Best started a few days before you need it.

Ingredients
Amounts are difficult to determine
0.5 kilo Bacon bones or 30cm rack smoked ribs for the stock.
Get some with plenty of meat left on them if you can
2 large onions diced
2 large carrots diced
4 medium potatoes diced
3 or 4 tsps cumin
dried peas [or lentils] soaked overnight
2 litres water


Method
The bones will have plenty of salt in them, so salt at the end to taste.
Bring the water to boil and simmer the bones in them for approx 1 hour, 2 is better.
Remove from the heat.
When cool skim excess fat from the top of the stock but retain the meat and bones.

On a medium heat ina a large saucepan cook the onions with plenty of cumin until transparent.
Add the carrots and potatoes.
Sweat them to start the cooking process.
Add the stock to the vegetables.
Add the peas [or lentils].

Bring to the boil but then reduce the heat to minimum.
Simmer the soup for another 3 hours. The soup should only just be turning over. Stir it periodically to ensure it isn't sticking on the saucepan.
Cooking it so slowly allows the flavours to really come out of the bones which nearly disintegrate - the meat falls off, the vegetables almost dissolve.
There is no need to purée the soup. Because of the long cooking time everything is almost puréed as a matter of course.

Serve with nice crusty bread on a blustery winter's day in front of the fire.
Freeze what's left for the next winter's day.