Latvian grey peas with bacon (Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi)

1. Authentic Latvian grey peas (pelēkie zirņi) are hard to find outside the Baltics, so we use whole dried yellow peas instead. Pick over the peas and soak them overnight in plenty of cold water.

2. Pour off the soaking water, cover the peas with fresh water and simmer, covered and unsalted, over low heat for 1-1.5 hours until tender but still whole; drain.

3. Meanwhile dice the bacon small and render it slowly in a large frying pan until crisp and the fat has melted out.

4. Add the finely chopped onions and fry them in the bacon fat for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

5. Tip the drained peas into the pan, season with salt and plenty of pepper and fry together for 3-4 minutes so the peas take on the smoky flavour.

6. Serve piping hot with a glass of cold kefir – in Latvia the two together are the classic.

Tip: Pelēkie zirņi are an essential dish at Latvian Christmas and Midsummer; if you forgot to soak them in time, a 1-hour quick soak works too: bring the peas to the boil and leave them to stand, covered.