Ham Hock with Lentils

Name: Ham Hock with Lentils
Yield: Serves at least eight
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 250 g (9 oz) green or brown lentils; 3 bay leaves; 25 g (1 oz) butter; a little squeeze of lemon juice; 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped; 1 large carrot; 2 onions, both peeled, 1 sliced; salt and black pepper; 2 ham hocks, weighing about 1.25 kg (2 lb 12 oz) each; 100 ml (3½ fl oz) (double) cream; 1 red chilli; 4 celery sticks; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; ½ glass of dry white wine (say about 75 ml/2¾ fl oz); 1 garlic bulb; a handful of parsley stalks; 2 teaspoons grain mustard; a few sprigs of thyme

Preparation info

Serves at least
eight

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

A Long and Messy Business

By Rowley Leigh

Published 2018

About

The dark, moss-green puy lentils are traditional, but on this occasion I used the slightly browner Castelluccio lentils. They hold up just as well when cooked and have the requisite rich and earthy flavour.

Ingredients

2 ham hocks, weighing about 1.25 kg (2 lb 12 oz)

Europe
France
Dinner
Spicy
January
Gluten-free
Mediterranean

Method

Soak the hocks in a large pan of cold water overnight.

The next day, change the water, bring to the boil, then discard the water and cover with fresh cold water. Add the sliced onion, the carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a simmer, skimming carefully, and cook over a gentle heat for 2½ hours, replenishing the water so it always covers the hocks.

Rinse the le