Buckingham Palace Cream of Pea Soup

From "Dinner at Buckingham Palace" by Charles Oliver, who worked for the British Royal Family. "If fresh peas are available, cook one cup in water until soft and rub them through a sieve into the soup. Should they be very young and small, include the pods."

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2  cups  split peas
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1⁄2 cup  finely diced salt pork
• 1  medium onion, well chopped
• 1  medium carrot, well chopped
• 2  leeks (the green parts only, well chopped)
• 1  cup spinach, well chopped
•  bay leaf
• 1  pinch thyme
• 1  cup  stock
•  salt, to taste
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Cover two cups of split peas with water and allow to soak for a little over one hour.
2. Pour off the water and put the peas into a large saucepan with one quart fresh water. Add salt. Bring to a boil and skim the water, the cover the pan and simmer steadily.
3. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a soup kettle and drop in 1/2 cup of finely diced salt pork. Cook until the pork begins to brown. Add onion and saute until soft but not brown. Now add the carrot, tops of the leeks and spinach. Drop in a small piece of bay leaf and a pinch of thyme.
4. Cook for a few minutes more and then pour in the partly cooked peas with their water. Continue to cook for about one hour, or until the peas are very soft. Rub the soup through a fine sieve and add one cup of stock, then bring back to a boil.
5. Season to taste with salt and add sugar, butter and heavy cream.