SLOW BRAISED HAM HOCKS WITH PEASE PUDDING

Gorgeous comfort food, slow braised ham hocks that just melt in your mouth with a deep slow braised stock broth, rustic vegetables and homemade pease pudding a glorious hug from a bowl.  A really cheap hearty family meal that delivers so much depth of flavour and warmth.

2-3 hrs unattended cooking

Overnight soaking in water split yellow peas

Ingredients 
(serves 4)

Pease Pudding

500g split yellow peas

1 glug olive oil

3 tbsp butter

1 small onion finely diced

1 clove garlic finely diced

1 carrot finely diced

1/2 stick celery finely diced

1/2 tsp turmeric 

1 sprig of thyme

1 bay leaf

Himalayan sea salt 

Fresh ground black pepper 

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Braised Ham Hocks

2 ham hocks

1 glug olive oil

4 ltrs chicken stock

2 ribs of celery finely chopped

4 carrots roughly chopped
1 large onion finely diced 
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 leek finely chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme

Himalayan sea salt 

Fresh ground black pepper 

2 cups petits pois peas

12 new potatoes

Cook the pease pudding at the same time as slow braising the ham hocks.

In a large casserole dish medium hot add the olive oil, onions and garlic soften without colour for 10 minutes, add the celery, carrots and leeks and soften for a further 15 minutes.  Add the thyme, chicken stock and ham hocks, the stock should just cover the ham hocks.  Pop on a lid and once up to a simmer lower the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 2-3 hours.  Your ham hocks are ready when the meat falls of the bone with no effort.  

Meanwhile make the pease pudding, in a pan place the olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter, gently soften the onions, garlic, carrots and celery without colour for 10 minutes.  Add the split yellow peas, turmeric, bay, thyme and 1000ml of water, bring to a low gentle simmer, pop on the lid and leave to cook for 2-3 hrs.  You may need to add approx 500ml more of water but I like to add this as stock from the cooking ham hock liqueur.  Once the split peas are soft and loosely thick in consistency blitz with a hand blender to a smooth consistency, stir in the vinegar, remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the ham hocks and carrots from the stock, cover to rest and keep warm reserved to one side, strain the stock and return to the pan, pop in your potatoes to cook for 15 minutes.  After 10 minutes add the peas.  In your serving bowls pull off the ham hock meat and place in the bowls along with the reserved carrots, lift out the new potatoes and peas and divide between the bowls, ladle over the hot stock and serve with a generous serving spoon of pease pudding.