Maple roast ham hock and pea soup

Name: Maple roast ham hock and pea soup
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 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

June 1, 2015

Time:1-2 hoursServes:4

Pea and ham soup is a modern classic; using frozen peas rather then dried ones adds brightness to this version.

Ingredients

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

Method

Step 1
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.
Step 2
Remove ham hock meat and shred it, discarding skin and bone. Strain and keep the cooking liquid.
Step 3
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.
Step 4
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.
Step 5
Divide the soup among serving bowls, top with hock meat and sprinkle with a little chopped mint.