Instructions: Check the weight of the joint before you throwaway the plastic covering. The cooking time will be 25 minutes per 455g plus 25 minutes.

Soak the joint in cold water for a couple of hours to remove any excess salt; alternatively place it in a big saucepan cover with cold water and slowly bring to the boil then discard the water.

Cover the bacon with fresh cold water and add the rest of the ingredients for the stock including the pease pudding. Bring slowly to the boil.

Skim the surface when needed and cover with a lid.

Calculate the cooking time from this point and reduce to a gentle simmer. Roughly 30 minutes before the end of its cooking time I like to cook my whole vegetables in with the bacon and its broth.

When the bacon pease pudding and vegetables have reached their cooking time remove them from the saucepan cut the carrots and celery into quarters and put aside.

Remove the rind and excess fat from the bacon.

Remove the pease pudding from the muslin and mash it well with the butter and some black pepper.

Use a little of the strained stock as gravy or as a base for your gravy if you like it thicker.

Serve the ham hot with a dollop of the pease pudding the vegetables some gravy and some English mustard. Freeze the rest of the stock for soups (great for minestrone).

You can buy some lovely pieces of gammon or hock bacon from the supermarkets. I always buy the unsmoked bacon for this dish as it is not such a dominant flavour and you can boil it. Dont forget to soak the split peas the day before.

Serves 6

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