Bacon and pease pudding

Ingredients

6 medium carrots, peeled
6 medium onions, peeled with root intact
2 heads of celery hearts, cut in four lengthways 2.25-2.7kg/4½-5lb unsmoked bacon collar, soaked overnight
12 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 orange, peel only, studded with 4 whole cloves
6 parsley stalks
12 new potatoes
12 baby leeks
For the pease pudding
350g/12oz yellow split peas, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 medium potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 4 wedges
2-3 sprigs fresh mint
75g/3oz unsalted butter
1 free-range egg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp freshly chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Method

1. Place the carrots and onions into a large saucepan. Place the bacon joint on top of the vegetables. Add the celery, peppercorns, bay leaves and orange peel.
2. For the pease pudding, drain the split peas and place in a large bowl lined with a large piece of muslin. Add the potato, onion and mint. Tie and pop into the bacon mixture. Add the parsley stalks to the pan.
3. Fill the pan up to the top with cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 1½ hours, removing any scum with a spoon and if required top up with water to keep the bacon covered.
4. Half an hour before the end of cooking time, remove the pease pudding.
5. Remove the contents of the muslin bag and spoon the pease pudding mixture except the mint sprigs into a food processor. Add the butter, egg, salt and pepper and parsley. Blend until you have a smooth consistency.
6. Spoon the pease pudding into a well-greased 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin, cover with a greased disc of greaseproof paper. Cover with a double piece of foil and secure with string.
7. Place a small non-breakable saucer onto the base of a large saucepan. Place the basin onto the saucer and fill the pan with boiling water, two-thirds up the side of the basin. Cover and steam for 40-50 minutes.
8. Fifteen minutes before the end of the cooking time for the boiled bacon, add the potatoes and leeks to the pan.
9. Remove the bacon from the pan and place onto a carving board. Remove the string and excess fat from the bacon. Carve the bacon into thick slices.
10. Invert the pease pudding basin onto a plate and cut into wedges.
11. Arrange the bacon slices onto a plate and serve with your choice of vegetables and pease pudding.