By Frank Camorra
The preserving of pork leg as ham has a long history. Many credit the Chinese as being the first to cure raw hams, while others believe it was the Gauls. Whoever was first, it was definitely a well established practice by the Roman period. Pea and ham soup is a modern classic; using frozen peas rather then dried ones adds brightness to this version.
The egg and ham bakes are fantastic for breakfast or lunch. Experiment with the filling by adding spinach or chilli jam.
Maple roast ham hock and pea soup. Credit: Marcel Aucar
Maple roast ham hock and pea soup
1 ham hock (about 1.3 kg)
3 brown onions, 1 quartered, 2 thinly sliced
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
50g butter, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
400g frozen peas
2 tbsp mint leaves plus a little to serve
salt and pepper
2 tbsp maple syrup
Place ham hock, quartered onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to a simmer and cook until the meat is falling from the bone, about 1.5 hours. Remove ham hock meat and shred it, discarding skin and bone. Strain and keep the cooking liquid. Heat butter in a large saucepan and fry sliced onions over a low heat until very soft then add garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add peas and 1 litre of reserved ham stock (top up with water if not enough stock), simmer until peas are tender, about 1-2 minutes, add the mint then puree until smooth, adding more stock or water for desired consistency. Season and keep warm, then preheat oven to 180C. Toss the shredded meat with the maple syrup and spread it on a lined baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until it is slightly golden. Divide the soup among serving bowls, top with hock meat and sprinkle with a little chopped mint.
Serves 4
Ham, chorizo and egg bake
6 tbsp vegetable oil
Leg ham, enough for a large slice to cover each muffin cup
2 raw chorizo sausages
6 eggs
100g gruyere cheese, grated
salt and pepper
spring onions, to serve
Pre-heat oven to 180C. Lightly coat a 12-muffin tin with vegetable oil, wiping each cup with kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Cut the chorizo into 1-cm slices and cook over medium heat until cooked through; keep any oil or juice from the chorizo. Cut squares out of baking paper and place in each muffin mould. Line each muffin cup with a slice of ham, edges hanging over the tops. You may need a couple of slices, depending on how big they are. Place an even amount of chorizo in each cup and sprinkle over a little cheese. Whisk the eggs, pour an even amount into each ham cup, season, then sprinkle more cheese over the top. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes in the oven, until the eggs have cooked. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped spring onions.
Serves 6
TIP
You can use bacon instead of ham for the baked egg cups. Once baked they can be chilled and eaten later cold.