PULLED BACON HOCK, ROASTED SLAW, PEA & PARMESAN GRAVY WITH OAT & BARLEY BANNOCK
SERVES 6 / PREPARATION 25 MINUTES / COOKING 3 HOURS 40 MINUTES
Bacon hocks are super tasty and a little goes a long way. The leftover cooking liquid makes a delicious base for dishes such as soup and risotto, and freezes well. Dry cider is best to use as it cuts through the bacon fat. I have based the bread on a Scottish style of bannock, a grainy quick bread cooked in a frying pan.
2 bacon hocks (approx. 650g each)
4 large carrots, thickly sliced
1 onion, quartered
2 sticks celery, thickly sliced
1 small bunch parsley, stalks and leaves 2 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 litre dry apple cider or 500ml apple juice ½ white cabbage olive oil, to drizzle
4 cups frozen peas, thawed
100g parmesan, grated
1 clove garlic, sliced
½ cup mint leaves oat & barley bannock, to serve (see recipe) lemon wedges and aioli, to serve
Place the bacon hocks in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat and drain well. Place the hocks back in the saucepan and add half the carrot, along with the onion, celery, parsley stalks (reserve the leaves for later), bay leaves, thyme and black peppercorns. Pour over the cider or juice. Top up with water to cover the hocks.
Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 3 hours until the meat is very tender. Cool in the stock. Remove the hocks from the liquid and remove and discard the skin. Pull the meat off the bones and discard as much fat and sinew as you can. Shred the meat, put into an ovenproof dish and cover with foil, so it is ready to heat before serving. Strain the stock and measure out 2 cups for the gravy. This can be done a day or two in advance. Heat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan bake.
Cut the cabbage into 4 wedges, ensuring you have some core with each wedge to hold it together. Put the wedges in a large colander and blanch by pouring boiling water all over the cabbage. Place the wedges flat on a lined baking tray along with the remaining carrot slices, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, turn and roast for another 15 minutes until tender and golden. When cool enough to handle, slice the cabbage and carrot and toss together in another ovenproof dish.
Put the peas, parmesan, garlic and most of the mint and parsley leaves (save some leaves to garnish) in a food processor, add 1½ cups of the stock and blend to a sauce adding more stock if needed to make a gravy. Pour into a small saucepan and set aside.
To serve, put the bacon and slaw in the oven at 180℃ to heat through for about 10 minutes. Heat the pea and parmesan gravy gently in a saucepan, stirring until gently bubbling then divide between six serving plates. Top with the roast veges and bacon and the remaining mint and parsley leaves. Serve with the oat and barley bannock, a squeeze of lemon or a dollop of aioli.