Marrowfat peas with streaky bacon (Pelēkie zirņi)

Someone on another board asked me to post this recipe for an Latvian Christmas dish made with marrowfat peas, unusual large brown-grey peas also enjoyed by the Dutch.

1 kg marrowfat peas
Salt

200 g streaky bacon, chopped into 1-cm dice
1 onion, peeled and chopped into 1-cm dice
Freshly ground pepper
Salt

Wash peas and leave to soak in cold water overnight.
Drain peas. Put into pot and cover with fresh cold water. Boil peas until soft, adding salt only few minutes before peas are ready.
In meantime, saute bacon and onion together in pan over medium-high heat to render fat and make bacon a little crispy. Add pepper and additional salt to taste. Reserve and keep warm.
When soft, drain cooked peas. While they are still warm put a few spoonfuls of peas into individual bowls and spoon over bacon and onion mixture together with a good serving of the bacon fat. The bacon fat is essential to balance the somewhat floury texture of the large peas.
Very filling, so serve in small portions. Traditionally served as part of a Christmas or New Year's feast that might have black pudding and hunter sausages, and other traditional foods like pīrāgi (bacon rolls - yes, we like our bacon). Often eaten with a spoon and large glass of kefir or buttermilk.