Ingredients
4 medium carrots
1/2 bunch celery
1 large turnip*
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 Ham hock (approx 1.2kg)
2 Massel 7’s Chicken Stock cubes (crushed)
2L water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method
1. Dice the carrots, celery and turnip into small cubes. Alternatively you can grate the vegetable but I prefer diced.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot ensuring its nice and hot, then add all the diced vegetables. Add a pinch of salt and stir well until the vegetables soften trying not to let them brown.
3. Once the vegetables have softened, score the ham hock a few times to help release the flavours and then place in the pot.
4. Add the water along with the stock cubes and bring to the boil. Once at boiling point lower the heat to a simmer and allow the flavours to develop for around 2 hours. Check the water level every now and then and also remove any white foam that might come to the surface. This is the impurities coming from the ham hock. If the water level is getting too low you can top it up as you go.
5. After approx 2 hours remove the ham hock from the soup and transfer to a chopping board. Remove the skin and place this back in the soup while you remove the rest of the meat. Cut the ham from the bone and chop into small cubes also. Place the meat and bones back into the pot and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
6. Remove the skin and ham bones and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy straight away or allow to cool and portion into smaller containers ready for the freezer.
