flipErbseneintopf — split pea stew with bacon
Erbseneintopf — split pea stew with bacon
Why this dish? The Eintopf, the 'one-pot meal,' is the daily fare of the German middle class of Wegener's time: nourishing, economical on fuel, it warms the body in the heart of Berlin and Marburg winters. Its caloric density also makes it the very type of dish one dreams of when shivering on the ice.
A thick stew of yellow split peas melted down with bacon, seasonal root vegetables, and sausage, perfumed with marjoram and caraway. A spoon stands upright in it: it's the hot meal that keeps a man going until evening.
You see, when the barometer drops and the Baltic wind creeps under the doors, nothing warms better than a pot of split peas on the fire. My mother always threw in a piece of smoked bacon and a good pinch of caraway, for caraway, she said, helps the heaviness pass. You let it simmer a whole morning without rushing; the peas must fall apart on their own. Believe me, a scholar who has spent the night over his maps longs for nothing else.
- •Yellow split peas — a good pound (base, binder)
- •Smoked bacon — a piece (fat, umami)
- •Carrots and celeriac — a few roots (vegetables)
- •Onion — one (aromatic base)
- •Smoked sausage — according to purse (garnish)
- •Caraway and marjoram — a pinch (herbs)
Erbseneintopf — split pea stew with bacon
A thick stew of yellow split peas melted down with bacon, seasonal root vegetables, and sausage, perfumed with marjoram and caraway. A spoon stands upright in it: it's the hot meal that keeps a man going until evening.
Why this dish? The Eintopf, the 'one-pot meal,' is the daily fare of the German middle class of Wegener's time: nourishing, economical on fuel, it warms the body in the heart of Berlin and Marburg winters. Its caloric density also makes it the very type of dish one dreams of when shivering on the ice.
You see, when the barometer drops and the Baltic wind creeps under the doors, nothing warms better than a pot of split peas on the fire. My mother always threw in a piece of smoked bacon and a good pinch of caraway, for caraway, she said, helps the heaviness pass. You let it simmer a whole morning without rushing; the peas must fall apart on their own. Believe me, a scholar who has spent the night over his maps longs for nothing else.
Ingredients (period version)
- Yellow split peas — a good pound (base, binder)
- Smoked bacon — a piece (fat, umami)
- Carrots and celeriac — a few roots (vegetables)
- Onion — one (aromatic base)
- Smoked sausage — according to purse (garnish)
- Caraway and marjoram — a pinch (herbs)
Ingredients
- Yellow split peas — 400 g (base, binder)
- Smoked bacon lardons or smoked belly — 150 g (fat, umami)
- Carrots — 2 (vegetable)
- Celeriac — 1/4 (vegetable)
- Potato — 1 large (texture)
- Onion — 1 (aromatic base)
- Smoked sausage (e.g., Bockwurst) — 2 (garnish)
- Caraway seeds — 1/2 tsp (signature herb)
- Dried marjoram — 1 tsp (herb)
- Broth or water — 1.5 L (cooking liquid)
Method
- Soak the split peas for 2 hours (optional but faster). Drain.
- Sauté the chopped onion and bacon lardons in the pot until golden.
- Add the peas, diced root vegetables, potato, caraway, marjoram, and broth.
- Simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the peas break down into a thick purée.
- Add the sliced sausage 10 minutes before the end. Season with salt and pepper, and serve piping hot with rye bread.
How it was made : Before modern pressure cookers, the Eintopf simmered for hours on a coal or wood stove, saving fuel: one fire, one pot. Split peas, easy to store dry, were a basic winter staple throughout northern Germany.
The contemporary twist : Served in a hollowed-out small rye loaf as a bowl, 'Brotsuppe' style, with a drizzle of toasted caraway oil.
Alfred Wegener · Charactorium
