Gammon and Pea Risotto

For a bargain joints you really cannot beat a gammon hock ( smoked or unsmoked) less than £2 a piece.

They do need some slow low cooking to ensure the flakiest meat and rich stock. In winter you can use it to make a rib-sticking Split Pea and Ham Soup  , however gammon hock can also be wonderful as cold meat in summer either make into a terrine  or served with salad or a light risotto

How to cook a gammon hock

1 gammon hock
Enough hot water to cover the hock
1 medium onion cut into quarters
1 bay leaf
1 clove of garlic
1 stick of celery
1 tsp of pepper corns
Herbs (Any of thyme , savory)

1. Remove the skin/fat from the gammon hock
2. Place the gammon hock in a large pan or slow cooker
3. Add the onion, garlic , celery peppercorns & herbs
4. Pour over the water
5. Cover the pan and bring to a gentle simmer
6. Simmer for 3 hours ( or put the slow cooker on high for 4 hours)
7. You will be left with a gammon hock for flaking and once strained a rich ham stock

Using the gammon stock

Spring Vegetable Salad

The ham stock is really nice for poaching vegetables to make a hot or cold vegetable salad to serve with the flaked gammon.

1. Simmer the carrots, spring turnips and peas in the stock until softened ( Add the peas for the last few minutes only).
2. Mix the cooked vegetables with  fresh herbs ( mint and savory) , ground black pepper, olive oil  , Dijon mustard , lemon juice and zest.
3. Serve hot or cold mixed with the flaked gammon.

With fresh peas  you can  use the pea pods combined with the ham to create a rich stock for risottos . I loves Peas in risotto and have made a Crab and Pea Risotto before in summer but this gammon risotto is tasty and bright.

Gammon and Pea Risotto

200g of risotto rice
2 pints of ham stock
1 carrier bag of fresh peas
Half the meat from the gammon hock
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 tsp of butter

1. Simmer the pea pods with the ham stock for 20 minutes with the lid on
2. Puree the stock and pea pods
3. Strain the stock using a seive.
4. Make the stock up to 2 pints using wam water
5. Fry the onion and garlic in the butter til soften
6. Add the risotto rice and stir well
7. Slowly add the hot stock a ladle at a time stirring constantly
8. For the last 5 minutes stir in the peas and gammon
9. Serve