Ham hock with buttermilk biscuits recipe

Details

• Cuisine: French
• Recipe Type: Main
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 55 mins
• Serves: 4

Step-by-step

1. For the ham: soak the ham in cold water for 6 hours.
2. For the biscuits: rub the butter into the flour, raising agents, salt and sugar until like breadcrumbs.
3. Gently fold in the buttermilk, taking care not to overwork the mixture.
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate.
5. Roll the dough on a floured surface to 1.5cm thick, then cut into shapes using a cutter. Circles, rectangles and squares will all work well.
6. Brush the top of each biscuit with a little buttermilk.
7. Bake the biscuits at 180ºc for 15-20 minutes until cooked and golden brown.
8. Cook the ham with all of the vegetables, water and herbs in a pressure cooker for 35 minutes.
9. Once cooked, remove the ham's skin and flatten it between two flat trays. When the skin is cold, fry it until crispy in a dry pan then cut into 5 mm cubes.
10. Break the meat from the bone in chunks and re-heat them in a pan using a little butter. Add the maple syrup at the last minute to glaze.
11. For the sauce: grill the bacon until crispy, drain the excess fat, then cool and chop it up into small pieces. Mix with the crème fraiche and a few twists of black pepper.
12. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil together with a pinch of salt. Dress the baby gem leaves with this dressing. Serve the ham hock with the biscuits, sauce and salad.