Ham hock & pistachio roll

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only

If you're looking for a Christmas classic with a twist, this French ham hock and pistachio terrine, transformed into a modern make-ahead starter is for you

Prep:1 hrs
Cook:4 hrs

Serves 10
More effort

Nutrition per serving

kcal 400
fat 27g
saturates 7g
carbs 2g
sugars 1g
fibre 1g
protein 37g
salt 4.8g

Ingredients

2 smoked ham hock (about 3kg in total)
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 leek top, if you have it, roughly chopped (optional)
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 thyme sprig
2 cloves
1 allspice berry
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, plus a splash
small pack parsley, leaves chopped, stalks reserved
80g shelled and toasted pistachio
2 Granny Smith apples
1 shallot, thinly sliced into rings
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
40g bag pork scratchings, lightly crushed
2 tbsp English mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil, plus extra for brushing (optional)

Method

To make the roll, put the ham hocks in a large pan and add all the ingredients, except the chopped parsley (do add the stalks) and pistachios. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 3-4 hrs until the meat is very tender.
Remove the hocks from the liquid, reserving 100ml (save the rest to make a split pea or chunky vegetable soup), and leave them until just cool enough to handle – the hotter the ham, the easier it is to shred. If you have a pair of clean washing-up or food preparation gloves, it's easier to handle the hocks while they are hot. Take the meat off the bone and shred into another bowl, discarding any skin, large bits of fat, gristle or cartilage. Add the pistachios, chopped parsley and 100ml ham stock in with the ham, and add a drizzle more vinegar. Squish everything through your fingers to mix it a bit more.
Lay overlapping pieces of cling film on a clean work surface the size of an A3 piece of paper. Pile the mixture along the bottom length of the cling film, leaving about 10cm free on each side. Roll the ham in the cling film into a large, tight sausage shape, piercing with a skewer once or twice to release any air, then put in the fridge overnight. Can be made up to four days ahead.
To make the dressing, tip the mustard into a bowl and slowly whisk in the vinegar, then the oil, to make an emulsion. Tip into a squeezy bottle if you have one. Using a small melon baller, scoop out balls of the apples, then tip into a bowl with the vinegar, add the shallot rings and leave for a few mins to pickle.
To serve, carve the ham roll on the diagonal, still in the cling film, into slices about 2cm thick. Peel off the cling film, put the slices on plates and brush with a little rapeseed oil if you want to make it shiny. Build a thin line of watercress along the other side of the plate and arrange three apple balls and some shallot rings along the watercress, then scatter with chunks of scratchings. Dot the plate with blobs of dressing and serve the rest on the side.