Pork Hock and Mushy Peas Dinner
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Author: Denni Schnapp Status: published license cc-by-nc-sa tags: Cooking, Food, vegetables, Hock, mushy peas,
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Share on TwitterA springtime favourite! Hock from our craft butcher in Newbury with mushy peas, fresh root veg and lots of parsely. Finish with a dollop of made mustard.
Cheap, hearty nosh.
Pork Hock with Root Vegetables and Mushy Peas (4 portions)
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250g dried marrowfat peas (cover with boiling water and leave to cool. Top up water and leave to soak in fridge overnight).
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1 pork hock: wash, remove bristles and cover with water. Bring to a rapid boil for five minutes, then rinse. If the water is salty, repeat up to two times.
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2 leeks
1 carrot
¼ swede
1 stick celery (or ¼ celeriac—cut just before cooking or it will turn brown)
1 onion
1 bayleaf
1tsp whole coriander seeds
½tsp carraway seeds
8 crushed black peppercorns
1tsp dried majoram
stalks from 1 pack parsley
splash Gherkin juice (or 1 cap white wine vinegar)
This would be my suggestion for stock ingredients, but they can be varied to taste. Gherkin juice is a secret tip from German peasant cooking.
Cut off the lower, white parts of the leeks and reserve. Clean and roughly chop the rest of the veg and arrang around the pork hock. ,i>just cover with water. If the hock is big, cover half-way up and turn every twenty minutes or so. Gently simmer for 2½-3 hours.
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Reserve the liquid. Transfer the peas to a separate pan and pour over enough liquid to just cover (note that no salt is added at this stage). Simmer gently until they begin to soften (ca. 30 minutes).
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Cut the meat and skin from the bone (clean out the gristle) and and transfer to another pan. Discard the veg (or press them through a sieve into the remaining liquid, which will add texture and flavour).
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4 shallots
6-8 chanteray (small) carrots or 1 carrot, peeled and cut into even, 1 cm rounds
white parts of two leeks, ditto
¼ swede, peeled and cut into even chunks
6-8 potatoes, ditto, or equivalent weight of baby potatoes
¼ celeriac (cut just before adding to simmering water)
6-8 potatoes
½ stock cube (chicken, pork or vegetable) or salt to taste
1 pack parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
Arrange around the meat and .just cover with the remaining liquid (any that is left over makes a good base for soups and gravy). Gently simmer for about ¼ hour, until the vegetables are al dente to the tip of a knife. Do not overcook as the vegetables will have the best flavour just before they start going soft.
Meanwhile, reheat the peas, drain off all the liquid (there shouldn't be much; it can be added to the stew) and mash, seasoning with salt and ground white pepper. Stir in half the parsley.
Serve the stew with a bit of the cooking liquid and a dollop of mushy peas, scatter over the remaining parsley over the dish and pass around some made mustard.
