Ingredients

• 300g/10oz dried yellow split peas
• 50g/2oz butter
• 1 onion
• roughly chopped
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• ½ tsp finely grated nutmeg
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1kg/2¼lb smoked or unsmoked gammon joint
• tied
• 1 medium onion
• peeled
• 4 cloves
• 1 large carrot
• roughly chopped
• 2 celery sticks
• roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• 25g/1oz butter
• 25g/1oz plain flour
• 300ml/10fl oz ham stock (from cooking the gammon)
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 5 tbsp single cream

Directions

• Rinse the peas in a sieve under cold running water and drain. Put the peas in a bowl and cover with hot water. Leave to stand for 20 minutes.
• Heat 25g/1oz of the butter in a heavy-based frying pan and cook the onion
• thyme and bay leaf very gently for 15 minutes
• or until softened and only just beginning to colour. Stir regularly.
• Drain the peas and add to the pan. Pour over 1 litre/1¾ pints water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 30-40 minutes
• or until the peas soften and start falling apart. The liquid should be well reduced by this time.
• Meanwhile
• put the gammon in a large lidded saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then discard the water (be careful as it will create a lot of steam). Cut the onion in half and stud each piece with cloves.
• Take the peas off the heat
• remove the bay leaf and blend with a hand blender until a thick purée. Beat in the remaining butter nutmeg and the egg. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Spoon the pea mixture into the centre of a piece of muslin. Tie the ends tightly with kitchen string just above the peas
• allowing a little room for expansion.
• Tuck the pease pudding and onion into the pan beside the gammon. Add the carrot
• celery
• bay leaves and peppercorns. Fill the pan with enough cold water to cover the gammon and return to the hob. Bring to a simmer
• cover loosely with a lid and cook for 1-1¼ hours.
• Remove the gammon and place on a board. Cover with foil and a couple of tea towels. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before carving. Ladle 300ml/10fl oz of the gammon stock into a heatproof jug.
• For the mustard sauce
• melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds before slowly adding the reserved stock
• stirring well between each addition. Bring the sauce to a simmer
• stir in the mustard and then the cream. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Carve the gammon into thick slices. Unwrap the pease pudding and transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Serve a spoonful of pease pudding with a slice of gammon and drizzle over the sauce.