CARAMEL BRAISED PORK HOCK WITH ROOT VEGETABLE SALAD

SERVES 4

Begin this recipe at least 5 hours ahead.

200g white sugar

1/2 cup (125ml) fish sauce

3 cups (750ml) coconut water or water 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

12cm (60g) piece ginger, peeled, finely

chopped

4 eschalots, thinly sliced

1.8kg pork hock

1 tsp white pepper

Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

ROOT VEGETABLE SALAD

1 bunch radish, trimmed, thinly sliced

into rounds

6 (260g) baby carrots, peeled into

long strips

2 medium (300g) white turnips,

trimmed, thinly sliced into rounds 1 small (170g) kohlrabi, trimmed,

thinly sliced into rounds

1 tbs fish sauce

2 tsp caster sugar

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 small red chilli, finely chopped

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup each basil leaves and mint leaves

Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan-forced.

Place sugar and 1/3 cup (80ml) water in a large, ovenproof saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook, without stirring, for 4-5 minutes until a deep caramel colour. Remove from heat. Add fish sauce and coconut water, then garlic, ginger and eschalot. Return to mediumlow heat. Cook, stirring to dissolve caramel.

Add hock, cover and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn hock and bake for a further 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove lid and cook for a further 1 hour.

Remove hock and set aside. Using a large spoon, remove and discard fat from braising liquid. Reduce remaining liquid over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes or until it coats the back of a spoon. Stir through white pepper, return hock to braising liquid and keep warm.

Meanwhile, for the root vegetable salad, place root vegetables in a large bowl, scatter with 2 tsp salt flakes and toss to combine. Set aside for 1 hour.

Combine fish sauce, sugar and 1 tbs water in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir through garlic, chilli and lemon juice. Drain liquid from root vegetables, drizzle with dressing, add basil and mint leaves and toss to combine.

Drizzle pork hocks with reduced braising liquid and serve with steamed rice and root vegetable salad.