Max's Split-pea Soup

When Susan was pregnant she coveted Split Pea soup.  When her favorite bistro failed her one day, I created this recipe that is given its smokeyness by way of hamhocks and andouille sausage.  For an extra kick--add a reconstituted smoked chili.

1 tbls olive oil

1/2 lb or so of andouille sausage, cut into pieces

One medium onion, finely chopped

One carrot, finely chopped

One celery stalk, finely chopped

2 slices smoked bacon, chopped small

1 smoked hamhock cut into 3 or 4 pieces by your butcher

1.5 pounds dry split green peas

3 bay leaves

8 c of chicken broth (can substitute 2 c of water for 2 chicken broth)

2 tbls sweet butter

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 c Italian parsley finely chopped

salt and pepper

homemade garlic croutons

fresh olive oil

Pour 1 tbls oil into dutch oven or stock pot

Saute sausage in oil then remove sausage to a plate

Add to the pot: onion, carrot, celery and bacon

cook over low to medium heat until onions are translucent

Add hamhock, peas, bay leaves, broth, butter to pot

return sausage, chopped finely, to pot

add garlic, salt and pepper (don't over salt)

cook for 1 hour

remove half or most of the peas to a bowl and pulverize with hand mixer or food process, then return them to pot and stir.

cook another 1 to 1.5 hours over low simmer, uncovered

when it reaches desired thickness, , remove hamhocks and

taste for salt, add parsley

you can use your hand mixer on the whole thing at his point if you want a real creamy texture.

chop up hamhock meat, removing fat and any skin, and add ham back to the soup, stir

serve with garlic croutons