Best things to do with a ham hock?

Boil it up and then put it in a pie with some chicken? And perhaps some leeks?

Thanks Jings, I've just been looking at a chicken and ham pie recipe - sounds a lot of labour, but could be worth it. Think I will cheat on the pastry though with ready made so suddenly not so thrifty ha ha.

Stick it in a big pot of lentil soup!

Mary Berry did a lovely Ham Hock terrine on her programme last week very simple juts the ham hocks set in gelatine - you could pick it up on I Player or her website.

Big saucepan, leeks, potatoes, carrots, handful of lentils (or anything, really), good shaking of pepper (no salt) and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for a good while, till ham is cooked.Take ham out and cut up. You can fling some of it back in or have it with another meal. Lovely!

Lentil soup!

Actually, I would probably make a flan. Like this.

Line tin with pastry (make it yerself, yer lazy oompah) put cooked cut up bacon over bottom of tin. Liquidise some eggs, cheese and onion. Pour that over ham. Sliced tomato on top. Bake about 40 mins moderate oven. Delicious.

You might even have enough to eat for lunch next day, with some chutney.

(The liquidising saves having to grate cheese and chop onion)

#grannysuckeggsnodoubt.

I find these things very salty, they are initially soaked in a brine mixture!

So I soak them for 12 hrs, toss away the water, another soak, then cook till done.

You can add the lentils/ pulses in the cooking period, + whatever is at hand.

Meat can be used in stir fry, risotto, let your imagination soar.

It is good cheap cut and so tasty

Jings I always make short crust myself, but the recipe used flakey - thought I might nip out and get some justrol - then I saw all the other recipe ideas so now I am wavering and thinking I might go with the lentil stock thingy ... choices, choices. Thank you all!

I use them regularly for lentil and bacon soup, as others have said above. I did see Mary Berry do the terrine and thought I might have a go at that, it looked so nice, and not complicated.

Long slow cook in a covered dish with little stock, remove the fat and serve with cabbage and boiled potatoes. You can thicken the juices with flour to make gravy.

Surely its Pea and Ham soup??

Lentil soup!

Pea and ham soup, grannylyn65 ? Frae a chicken?

I would make a dried pea (yellow peas) and ham soup. Beautiful can already taste it!

Thanks for all the great suggestions. In the end we had a great soup / stew which I began and DH finished. It had potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, butter beans, tomatoe puree, garlic, paprika and pepper in it and was really delicious, but I doubt we will ever achieve the same taste again! Still some left for today though - 4 meals for around about £3 overall as the hock was reduced to £1.89 so extra satisfying!

We used to live on Ham hock in the 70`s when my husband was in teacher training college on a grant . You could buy one for a few pence . I can remember that you had to boil it for long enough to take the skin and fat off before making the huge pan of soup which lasted a few days .

Elegran, I have unique chickens

Have they been watching the adverts, Grannylynn?

After all that you made a "chuck the lot in" stew?!

Sigh!

They are 'middle of the road' ?