Ham Hock with Puy Lentils
So here we have the first of the promised 3 recipes using the ham hocks we cooked the other day – Ham hock with puy lentils.
This recipe is from the late Gary Rhodes
Ingredients (serves 2)
- Picked meat from 1 cooked ham hock
- 125g Puy Lentils len-til The lentil plant (Lens Culinaris) originates from Asia and North Africa and is one of our oldest…
- 450ml of reserved ham stock
- a large knob of butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 1 heaped tbsp coarsely chopped fresh parsley, flatleaf or curly
Method
- Prepare the lentils. First blanch them by plunging them into a pan of boiling water, then drain into a sieve and refresh under the cold tap. This process not only rinses the lentils well, but it also speeds up the entire braising process.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery, cover the pan and cook without colouring for 5-6 minutes. Tip in the blanched lentils, then pour in 450ml strained stock. Bring the lentils to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes – check occasionally and top up with more stock if needed – until tender. I prefer the braised lentils to have quite a loose final consistency without being over watery.
3. To serve, add the shredded ham and the coarsely chopped parsley to the lentils, and season with a twist of pepper. If you think you need a little more liquid, simply stir in an extra ladle or two of strained stock.
Enjoy. Next recipe – Ham hock terrine – tomorrow.
Laters!
