SERVES 4
1 large smoked ham hock
with bone, about 1.2kg,
soaked overnight in
plenty of cold water
2 leeks, trimmed
2 celery sticks, trimmed
1 large carrot, peeled
1 large onion, peeled and
halved
1 head of garlic, halved
horizontally
2 bay leaves
few thyme sprigs
few rosemary sprigs
1 tsp black peppercorns
PEASE PUDDING
300g split green peas,
soaked overnight in
cold water
1 small onion, peeled and
finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
few dashes of
Worcestershire sauce
black pepper
small bunch of flat-leaf
parsley, leaves chopped
152 COMFORT FOOD
Smoked ham hock with
pease pudding
This is a fantastic recipe for a crowd - simply poach
another ham hock in the stock, using the same amount of
flavouring vegetables, and double the pease pudding. The
whole dish can be cooked in advance but you'll need to
plan ahead as both the ham hock and split peas require
overnight soaking.Rinse and drain the ham hock, then put it into a large pan. Cut the
leeks, celery and carrot into 5cm lengths and add to the pan w ith the
onion, garlic, herbs and peppercorns. Pour in enough cold water to
cover. Bring to the boil, then skim off any scum from the surface. Cover
with a lid and gently simmer for 2-3 hours, unti the meat is tender
and comes away from t he bone easily.Remove the ham hock from the poaching liquor and set as ide to cool
slightly. When cool enough to handle, flake the meat into large pieces,
discarding the skin and bones. Measure out 600ml of the stock for
the peas (save the rest -you can use it to make London particular, see
page 69).For the pease pudding, drain the split peas and put them into a
saucepan with the chopped onion. Pour in the poaching stock and
bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 21/2-3 hours until the
peas are soft and the liquid has mostly been absorbed. Add t he butter
and Worcestershire sauce and season well with black pepper. For a
smoother result, use a hand-held stick blender to work the peas to a
coarse-textured puree.When ready to serve, warm the ham pieces gently if necessary in a
little of the reserved stock. Serve the pease pudd ing piping hot in
warm bowls with the flaked ham hock pieces on top. Add a sprinkling
of chopped parsley to finish.