flipCamp Broth with Bacon and Peas
Camp Broth with Bacon and Peas
Why this dish? A fellow soldier of Henri de Navarre, Agrippa spent his youth on the marches, sieges, and skirmishes of the Wars of Religion. Far from fine tables, the Huguenot soldier fed on this thick broth, quickly cooked over a bivouac fire, which sustained the body until the next stage.
A rustic soup of dried peas and bacon, thickened with stale bread, as was downed at camp. Nourishing and economical, it is made with what one carries in a haversack.
Now then, reader, do not think that war is waged on an empty stomach: this broth has kept me standing through many a winter siege, when bread was scarce and the cold bit hard. One threw the peas into the pot with a piece of bacon, an onion, and soaked the stale bread from the day before. It has not the appearance of court pottages, but by my faith it warms a man better than a sermon, and one fights more valiantly with a full belly.
- •Dried peas — two handfuls (nourishing base)
- •Salted bacon — a good piece (fat and salt)
- •Onion — one (aromatic)
- •Stale bread — a few slices (thickener)
- •Spring water — to cover (cooking liquid)
Camp Broth with Bacon and Peas
A rustic soup of dried peas and bacon, thickened with stale bread, as was downed at camp. Nourishing and economical, it is made with what one carries in a haversack.
Why this dish? A fellow soldier of Henri de Navarre, Agrippa spent his youth on the marches, sieges, and skirmishes of the Wars of Religion. Far from fine tables, the Huguenot soldier fed on this thick broth, quickly cooked over a bivouac fire, which sustained the body until the next stage.
Now then, reader, do not think that war is waged on an empty stomach: this broth has kept me standing through many a winter siege, when bread was scarce and the cold bit hard. One threw the peas into the pot with a piece of bacon, an onion, and soaked the stale bread from the day before. It has not the appearance of court pottages, but by my faith it warms a man better than a sermon, and one fights more valiantly with a full belly.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried peas — two handfuls (nourishing base)
- Salted bacon — a good piece (fat and salt)
- Onion — one (aromatic)
- Stale bread — a few slices (thickener)
- Spring water — to cover (cooking liquid)
Ingredients
- Split peas — 250 g (nourishing base)
- Smoked bacon or salted pork belly — 150 g (fat and salt)
- Onion — 1 large (aromatic)
- Stale country bread — 3 slices (thickener)
- Water — 1.2 L (cooking liquid)
- Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Soak the split peas for 1 hour if possible, then drain.
- Cut the bacon into lardons and brown in a pot with the chopped onion.
- Add the peas and water, bring to a simmer, and cook covered for 45 minutes until the peas break down.
- Crumble the stale bread into the soup to thicken, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Adjust salt and pepper, serve piping hot in a bowl.
How it was made : The armies of the Wars of Religion lived on dried legumes (peas, beans, lentils) easy to transport, salted bacon, and hard bread. The broth — bread soaked in broth — was the everyday fare of commoners and soldiers alike since the Middle Ages.
The contemporary twist : A drizzle of walnut oil and a few golden croutons transform this bivouac broth into a comforting velouté for the table d'hôte.
Agrippa d'Aubigné · Charactorium
