baked ham hock + apple gravy
This is based on this recipe from Mark Hix. I'm not sure that the hock actually needed soaking overnight, but I reckoned it wouldn't do it any harm. Apart from the baked ham itself, you'll end up with a litre or so of glorious stock for soup making.
serves two
for the ham:
1 smoked ham hock, soaked overnight (check with your butcher to see if this is required)
1 bottle (568ml) of cider
750ml water
3 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, halved
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
6 juniper berries
6 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a bunch of parsley stalks, tied up with string
½ cinnamon stick
for the glaze:
1 tsp english mustard powder
1 tbsp muscavado sugar
2 tbsps honey
for the gravy:
1 dessert apple, cored, peeled and sliced
a ladleful or two of the ham stock
Put the first eleven ingredients in a large pan (the hock should just be submerged in the liquid). Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 2½ hours. Top up with water if it's required, but that probably won't be necessary. Remove the hock from the pan and allow to cool.
Mix the glaze ingredients together and rub all over the hock. Place it in a small roasting tin along with the sliced apple. Place in a 180C/160C fan oven and bake for 1 hour. After 20 minutes, add a small ladleful of stock to the tin. Check every now and again to make sure this hasn't evaporated entirely, adding a spoonful more stock as required - this is the basis for your gravy.
When the hour is up, take the roasting tin out of the oven and put the hock to one side. To make the gravy, mash up the apple slices with the back of a fork and put the tin over a low heat. Add a ladleful of stock while stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. It shouldn't need any seasoning.
Pull the skin off the hock and discard. Then pull the meat off the bone with a fork. It won't be pretty, but it will be tasty.
serves two
for the ham:
1 smoked ham hock, soaked overnight (check with your butcher to see if this is required)
1 bottle (568ml) of cider
750ml water
3 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, halved
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
6 juniper berries
6 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a bunch of parsley stalks, tied up with string
½ cinnamon stick
for the glaze:
1 tsp english mustard powder
1 tbsp muscavado sugar
2 tbsps honey
for the gravy:
1 dessert apple, cored, peeled and sliced
a ladleful or two of the ham stock
Put the first eleven ingredients in a large pan (the hock should just be submerged in the liquid). Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 2½ hours. Top up with water if it's required, but that probably won't be necessary. Remove the hock from the pan and allow to cool.
Mix the glaze ingredients together and rub all over the hock. Place it in a small roasting tin along with the sliced apple. Place in a 180C/160C fan oven and bake for 1 hour. After 20 minutes, add a small ladleful of stock to the tin. Check every now and again to make sure this hasn't evaporated entirely, adding a spoonful more stock as required - this is the basis for your gravy.
When the hour is up, take the roasting tin out of the oven and put the hock to one side. To make the gravy, mash up the apple slices with the back of a fork and put the tin over a low heat. Add a ladleful of stock while stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. It shouldn't need any seasoning.
Pull the skin off the hock and discard. Then pull the meat off the bone with a fork. It won't be pretty, but it will be tasty.