Pea and ham soup
This yields more meat than you need for the soup. You could use it all, but I prefer to get an extra meal or two out of it – sandwiches, or a salad, or a rough-and ready-terrine.
Serves 4
ham hock (pork knuckle) 1, roughly 800g-1kg
water 1.25 litres
apple juice 250ml
carrot 1, roughly chopped
onion 1, roughly chopped
celery stick 1, roughly chopped
juniper berries 6, crushed
black peppercorns 6
cinnamon stick ½
parsley stalks a handful
bay leaves 2
yellow split peas 200g
parsley chopped
Check with your butcher, but the hock probably won't need an overnight soak. Nonetheless, place it in a large pan of water and bring to a boil, then drain – there'll be quite a bit of scum.
Put the hock back in the (cleaned) pan with everything except the split peas and parsley, bring to a boil and simmer for 1½-2 hours (topping up with more water as necessary), or until the meat pulls clear of the bone when threatened with a fork.
Remove the hock and cinnamon (and, if you're going to make the terrine, reserve a few spoonfuls of the stock). Add the split peas and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the split peas are soft. While soup is simmering, remove the meat from the ham hock and shred. Take a handful or two and chop into small pieces, for the soup.
When the peas are tender, blend the soup and pour back into the pan. Add the chopped meat, season with salt to taste, and serve with parsley swirled into the soup.
Rough and ready terrine
It's difficult to give quantities here because the amount of meat you'll use will vary, depending on the size of your ham hock and how much of the meat you used in the soup.
Serves about 3
ham hock meat
gherkins 1-2 tbsp, finely chopped
capers 1-2 tbsp, soaked, drained and finely chopped
parsley finely chopped
melted butter
stock from the pea and ham soup recipe
Mix the ham, gherkins, capers and parsley together, season and pack into a couple of buttered ramekins. Then add a spoonful or two of reserved stock from the soup making (prior to adding the split peas) and let it soak into the mixture; chill. To serve, run a knife around the sides of the terrines and up-end on to plates.
