I love ham hocks and they are very easy to cook. They are tremendously good value and are delicious served hot, warm or at room temperature. I prefer then unsmoked, but that is a personal choice.
Ingredients
The leftover cooking water makes a delicious stock for soups, so don’t discard it.
Serves 4
- 4 fresh ham hocks
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 1 carrot, thickly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 black peppercorns
Mustard and Chive Cream
This could not be easier to make, but I feel that the dry mustard powder is essential for a fiery yet comforting accompaniment to the ham. This sauce is also delicious served with roast beef.
Serves 4
- 1 teaspoon dry Colman’s English mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon hot water
- 120ml softly whipped cream
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Blend the dry mustard and hot water to form a wet paste. Fold it through the softly whipped cream along with the chives and a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep chilled until serving.
Celery with Tomatoes, Fennel and Raisins
Celery has somewhat gone out of fashion, which is a shame as it is a very flavoursome vegetable. I like it either raw and crisp, or cooked and tender.
Anything in between seems unsatisfactory. I suppose you could call this dish a vegetable stew – it can be cooked in advance and reheats perfectly at a later stage. I serve this with boiled ham or bacon, roast or grilled pork or with venison.
The addition of the raisins enlivens and slightly sweetens the dish. If some celery leaves come with the head of celery, I chop those coarsely and sprinkle them over the dish just before it goes to the table.
Serves 6–8
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 500g celery, sliced at an angle into pieces 1cm thick
- 100g onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed to a paste
- 1 branch of fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons roasted and ground fennel seeds
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 450g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 x 400g tin of good-quality tinned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped celery leaves (optional)
Method
- Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 2–2½ hours or even longer, until the meat is almost falling off the bone.
- Serve with the mustard and chive cream on the side and the celery with tomatoes, fennel and raisins.
Celery with Tomatoes, Fennel and Raisins
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over a moderate heat. Add the celery, onion, garlic, thyme and fennel seeds. Toss everything in the oil, season with salt and pepper and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook on a very gentle heat to sweat and tenderise the vegetables. It is crucial that the celery and onions are tender before adding the tomatoes. This should take about 15 minutes.
- Gently mix in the tomatoes, raisins and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed to form a sauce.
- Taste and correct the seasoning. The dish can be served now or reheated later. Scatter over the celery leaves (if using) just before serving.
