Ingredients
For the soup
- Ham hock (about 1.3kg)
- 2 carrots (small diced)
- 2 celery sticks (small diced)
- 1 large onion (small diced)
- 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
- 2 bulbs of crushed garlic
- 50g pearl barley
- 1 litre of chicken stock
Method
- Place the ham hock in a large, heavy-based saucepan, cover with cold water, then bring to the boil over a medium heat, skimming off any foam that collects on the surface.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat can be pulled easily away from the bone.
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave the ham to cool in the cooking liquid. Remove the meat from the pan when cool.
- With a sharp knife, remove the skin from the ham hock. Shred the meat from the bone and reserve. Reserve the liquid the ham was cooked in.
- In a pan, sweat down the vegetables with the thyme and garlic until coloured and softened, add the pearl barley, chicken stock and 2 ladles of the reserved ham hock liquid.
- Simmer for 40-45 minutes until tender. Stir through the ham hock meat and serve in big bowls.
