SARAH’S RECIPE

HAM HOCK TERRINE AND PICCALILLI SERVES 4

2 ham hocks, ideally smoked 1 litre water

300ml white wine

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp peppercorns Bunch of parsley

2 bay leaves

1 onion, whole

12 semi-dried prunes, chopped 100g pistachio kernels

For the piccalilli

1 cucumber, diced

2 shallots, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced 10 cornichons, diced 1 whole cauliflower, split into florets 300ml white wine vinegar 100g caster sugar 1 red chilli, finely chopped 1 tsp mustard seeds

1 bay leaf

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

HOW TO COOK

A BIT of advance work here, but the results are well worth it. A lovely lunch dish and wonderful as part of a ploughman’s or charcuterie board. As always, use freerange, high-welfare pork products wherever you can.

Simmer the ham hocks uncovered in a pan for 2 hours with the water, white wine, coriander seeds, peppercorns, parsley, bay leaves and onion, skimming the top throughout. Remove the hocks, cool and shred the meat well. Strain the cooking liquid through a muslin.

Mix the shredded ham with the chopped prunes and pistachios. Line a loaf tin with cling film, leaving an overhang on all sides, and press the ham mix into the tin.

Pour over a little of the cooking liquor but do not cover the meat. Fold over the cling film and leave to set a little in the fridge. Once the liquor has set, press with kitchen weights in the fridge. Leave for at least 12 hours. Turn out and slice.

For the piccalilli, add enough salted water to cover the veg and leave overnight. The next day, drain and rinse.

Mix the white wine vinegar, caster sugar, chilli, mustard seeds and bay leaf in a pan and warm through until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Strain, reserving the liquid and discard bay leaf.

Mix together the cornflour, turmeric and mustard with some of the vinegar to make a paste. Add to the remaining pickling liquor and cook for a minute or two until thickened. Add the veg and leave to cool. Decant into sterilised jars and keep in a cool, dark place. This can be eaten immediately but improves over time.