GREEN PEA SOUP

Put half a pound of dry green peas to soak overnight in water, with a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda in it.
In the morning take out the peas and put them on the fire in about three−and−a−half pints of water. When the
peas are nearly cooked, add five big potatoes. When all is cooked enough for the skins to come off easily, rub
all through a sieve. Fry in some butter four or five onions and five or six leeks till they are brown, or, failing
butter, use some fat of beef; add these to the peas and boil together a good half−hour. If possible, add a pig's
trotter cut into four, which makes the soup most excellent. When ready to serve, remove the four pieces of
trotter. Little dice of fried bread should be handed with the soup.