Every now and then, I really enjoy a hearty eintopf. It is a great winter food and pea stew is one of the most classic eintopf dishes in German cuisine. – When I was young, there used to be a restaurant in my village that only served this stew on Saturdays, guaranteeing a packed house. And guess what – the tradition has been carried on until today, and the house is still packed until this very day everytime the famous pea stew is served!

Sanni

Ingredients (serves 2-3):

• 200 grams of dried green peas, soaked in water overnight
• 1 tablespoon of concentrated butter
• 60 grams of lardons
• 250 grams of soup greens (i.e. ca. 1/4 leek, 50 grams of celeriac, 1 medium carrot, 1/4 parsley root), diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 300 ml of vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stalk of marjoram
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2.5 – 3 medium potatoes, pealed
• 2-3 Wiener sausages
• For serving: Chopped fresh parsley, Maggi seasoning sauce (alternatively Worcestershire sauce)

Preparation:

1. Drain the peas, preserving ca. 300 ml of the soaking water.
2. Put the concentrated butter and the lardons in a large sauce pot, and the slowly increase the heat from low to medium, allowing the fat to render. Fry briefly over medium heat, then add the soup greens.
3. Fry the greens and the lardons together for ca. 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the soaking water, the broth, the peas and the herbs. Seasons with freshly ground pepper and bring to the boil.
5. Cover the pot and let simmer for ca. 60 minutes, giving it a good stir every now and then.
6. After 60 minutes, dice 2 of the potatoes and tip into the stew. Grate 1/2 of the remaining potato over a fine grater directly into the stew. Simmer for a further 30 minutes, however check after 15 minutes – if your stew is not thick and smoothy yet, grate in the remaining half potato to thicken it. Stir regularly.
7. Before serving, cut the sausages up into ca. 0.5 cm thick slices. Warm through and serve sprinkled with the parsley. Season to taste with Maggi seasoning sauce (optional).