A versatile meal that can be served for brunch, lunch or dinner
Soft, juicy, slow-cooked ham hock coated in crispy breadcrumbs. Served on buttered savoy cabbage and a salted poached egg. Absolutely delicious served with a glass of chilled white wine or I.P.A.
What is Ham Hock?
Ham hock comes from pork knuckle, the area that joins a pig’s ankle to the leg. Due to the high content of tendons and ligaments, it requires many hours of slow cooking to soften the flesh enough for consumption.
How is Ham Hock normally eaten?
Ham Hock meat is most commonly served with green vegetables, used as a filling in a country-style pastry topped pie, or stewed into pea and ham soup.
For the speed of this recipe, pre-shredded ham hock is required (normally available in the cured meats/deli section of a supermarket).
Ham Hock Hash Cakes
Crunchy bread-crumbed Ham Hock hash cakes with tender meat and seeded mustard inside. Served with buttered cabbage and a salted poached egg.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 200 g Shredded ham hock
- 500 g potatoes peeled and cut into medium size pieces
- 2 spring onions chopped fine
- 2 tbsp gherkins chopped into small cubes
- 1 red chilli minced
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard + extra for serving
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg beaten
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 4 eggs for poaching + cider vinegar
Buttered Cabbage
- 1 small savoy cabbage cut in half then lengthways into 1cm thick pieces
- 1 white onion sliced fine
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Knob of butter
- 50 ml chicken or vegetable stock
Instructions
- Add potatoes to a pan of salted water, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Drain, season with salt and pepper and mash into a puree.
- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Combine ham hock, spring onions, mustard, parsley, chilli, gherkins and mashed potato and gently mix together. Divide into 4 portions and shape into hash cakes.
- Carefully dip cakes into flour, then beaten egg and finish by rolling in breadcrumbs. Repeat until all 4 are coated.
- Heat a good amount of oil in a frying pan and fry hash cakes on each side until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from pan, place on a baking tray and transfer to the oven for 12 minutes.
- For the cabbage: Add a large knob of butter to a warm saucepan and fry onions, garlic and cabbage for a couple of minutes, coating in the butter. Next add the stock, cover with a lid and turn to simmer for 5 minutes. When done remove the lid to let the steam out otherwise the cabbage will continue to cook and become too wet. It should retain its bite. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- For the poached eggs: Crack eggs individually into ramekins or small bowls.
- Using a large saucepan, fill with water. Bring to the boil then lower the heat until the water is barely moving. Create a whirlpool effect by stirring the water with a spoon very fast in a clockwise motion, then lower ramekins as close to the surface of the water as you can and quickly drop an egg into the whirlpool. You will see them swirl about and slowly form into a rounded dense shape. Poach for 2 minutes or until whites are firm. The inside should still be runny.
- Divide cabbage onto plates, top with a hash cake and poached egg. Sprinkle with additional chopped parsley and serve with mustard.
