Ingredients

• 2kg/4lb 8oz ham hock
• 2 carrots
• peeled and chopped
• 1 onion
• chopped
• 1 head of celery
• chopped
• 1 head of garlic
• chopped
• 1 leek
• trimmed and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• bunch of fresh thyme
• roughly chopped
• 1.5 litres/2¾ pints chicken stock
• 150ml/5fl oz white wine
• 150ml/5fl oz white wine vinegar
• 5 banana shallots
• peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• handful of watercress
• to garnish
• 500g/1lb 2oz baby potatoes
• peeled
• 3 tbsp snipped fresh chives
• 1 red onion
• thinly sliced
• 2 celery sticks
• thinly sliced
• 4 free-range hard-boiled eggs (leave slightly runny on the inside)
• quartered
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche

Directions

• Put the ham hock
• carrots
• onion
• celery
• garlic
• leek
• bay leaves
• thyme and stock in a large casserole and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 hours over a gentle heat
• or until the meat is tender. Leave the meat to cool in the stock.
• Once cooled
• remove the meat and discard the skin and fat. Shred the meat into generous slices.
• Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and place back over a low heat. Simmer until reduced.
• Bring the wine and vinegar to the boil in a small saucepan and add the shallots. Contine to cook until the liquid is reduced to a syrup. Pour the wine syrup and stock reduction back into the casserole and then add the meat. Stir in the parsley. Chill in the fridge for 1–2 hours
• or until set.
• For the potato and egg salad
• bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 12–15 minutes
• or until tender. Leave to cool and then place the potatoes in a large bowl with the chives
• onion
• celery
• eggs
• oil
• vinegar and crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Garnish the ham with the watercress and serve with the potato and egg salad.