Green Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds meaty smoked ham hocks
• ½ medium Spanish onion, halved
• 3 small celery stalks, very roughly chopped
• ½ medium carrot, peeled, very roughly chopped
• 1 head garlic, halved horizontally, not peeled
• 1 fresh bay leaf, or ½ dried
• 6 black peppercorns
• + 10 more ingredients
• • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ small Spanish onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons Maldon or another flaky sea salt
  • ½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
  • Five-fingered pinch of mint leaves, plus some torn leaves for finishing
  • Two 10-ounce packages Birds Eye frozen baby peas
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 or 4 tablespoons crème fraîche

1. Make the broth: Combine the hocks, vegetables, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 8 cups of water in a medium stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on, and cook at a nice steady simmer until the meat on the hocks is so tender it's almost falling off the bone, 4...

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