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1. Wash the split peas thoroughly under cold running water and continue to wash until the draining water runs clear. Pick over the peas and discard any discolored ones.
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2. In a heavy 4- to 5-quart saucepan or soup kettle, bring the chicken stock to a boil and drop in the peas slowly so that the stock does not stop boiling.
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3. Add the onions, celery, cloves, bay leaf and mint. Reduce the heat and simmer with the pan partially covered for 1˝ hours or until the peas can be easily mashed with a spoon. Remove the bay leaf.
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4. Puree the soup through a food mill or fine sieve into a large bowl, and then rub it through the sieve back into the saucepan or into another bowl.
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5. Add the salt and pepper, and chill the soup in the refrigerator. (If you wish to serve the soup immediately, place the soup in a bowl and set the bowl in a larger container filled with crushed ice or ice cubes.
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6. With a metal spoon, stir the soup until it is ice cold.) Before serving, stir in ˝ to 1 cup of chilled heavy cream, thinning the soup as desired, and taste for seasoning. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint.
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