Ham Hock terrine.
Ingredients:
1 ham hock, soaked in cold water in the fridge for 24 hours.
1 carrot, chopped.
1 onion, peeled and chopped.
1 stick celery, chopped.
2 bay leaves.
1 large sprig each of rosemary, thyme, fennel.
2 large handfuls parsley, finely chopped.
3 leaves gelatine.
Method:
Place all the vegetables and herbs in the base of a roasting pan and place the ham hock on top.
Half fill the pan with water, place in the oven at 50C and cook for 24 hours.
Remove the hock and allow to cool until it can be handled.
Remove the skin from the hock and, if not crisp, cut or break into smaller pieces and return to the oven to crisp into “pork scratchings”.
Remove the fat from the meat and discard.
Remove the bones from the hock and add to the vegetables and herbs in the roasting pan . The water in the pan will be nearly gone. Add one pint and simmer the herbs and vegetables on the hob for 10 minutes.
Slice the meat into long pieces, along the grain of the meat, to create long thick strips.
Line a 1lb loaf tin with two layers of cling film.
Alternately layer the tin with the meat and parsley, with the long pieces of meat laid lengthwise.
Soften the gelatine in cold water and then squeeze out most of the water.
Strain the stock from the roasting tin into a bowl.
Stir the gelatine into the stock until fully dissolved.
Pour the stock over the meat and parsley in the loaf tin and then chill the tin in the fridge.
Once set, cover the top of the terrine with a layer of cling film.
When ready to serve, remove the covering and turn the terrine out on to a board. Remove the rest of the cling film and cut into slices.
My Tips:
This sounds like a long recipe but is actually a quick and simple way of transforming a cheap piece of meat into an elegant dish.
A hock produces about 500g of meat which serves 6-8 light lunches when accompanied with salad etc. that will serve 6-8 with salad etc.