Preparation time
over 2 hours
Cooking time
over 2 hours
Serves
Serves 8-10
For the ham hock
- 2kg/4lb 8oz ham hock
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 head of celery, chopped
- 1 head of garlic, chopped
- 1 leek, trimmed and chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- bunch of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 1.5 litres/2¾ pints chicken stock
- 150ml/5fl oz white wine
- 150ml/5fl oz white wine vinegar
- 5 banana shallots, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- handful of watercress, to garnish
For the potato and egg salad
- 500g/1lb 2oz baby potatoes, peeled
- 3 tbsp snipped fresh chives
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
- 4 free-range hard-boiled eggs (leave slightly runny on the inside), quartered
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
Method
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For the bacon collar, place the bacon collar, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, leek, bay leaves, thyme and stock in a large casserole and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 hours over a gentle heat, or until the meat is tender. Leave the meat to cool in the stock.
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Once cooled, remove the meat and discard the skin and fat. Shred the meat into generous slices.
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Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and place back over a low heat. Simmer until reduced.
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Bring the wine and vinegar to the boil in a small saucepan and add the shallots. Contine to cook until the liquid is reduced to a syrup. Pour the wine syrup and stock reduction back into the casserole and then add the meat. Stir in the parsley. Chill in the fridge for 1–2 hours, or until set.
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For the potato and egg salad, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 12–15 minutes, or until tender. Leave to cool and then place the potatoes in a large bowl with the chives, onion, celery, eggs, oil, vinegar and crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
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Garnish the bacon with the watercress and serve with the potato and egg salad.