Creating A Homely Hock Terrine: A Step-By-Step Guide

Ham hock terrine is a flavourful, inexpensive, and impressive dish that can be made in advance, making it perfect for dinner parties or large gatherings. The process involves slowly cooking ham hocks until the meat falls off the bone, shredding and mixing it with flavourings, and setting it in a loaf tin or terrine dish with a small amount of jelly made from the stock. The result is a rustic, elegant, and tasty starter that pairs well with piccalilli, crusty bread, salad, and chilled white wine.

Cooking the hocks

Preparing the Hocks for Cooking

Before you begin cooking the hocks, it's important to check their saltiness. If the hocks are too salty, they will need to be soaked in several changes of cold water overnight. To check the saltiness, cut off a small piece of the raw ham and cook it in boiling water until tender, then taste. If it's too salty, be sure to soak the hocks before proceeding with the recipe.

To start cooking the hocks, place them in a large pan and cover them with cold water. If you're including additional ingredients for flavour, such as bay leaves, thyme, coriander seeds, peppercorns, onion, celery, or vinegar, add them to the pan at this stage. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Leave the hocks to cook uncovered for about 2 to 3 hours, until they are very tender and the meat starts to fall off the bone.

Cooling and Shredding the Hocks

Once the hocks are cooked, leave them to cool in the cooking liquid for about an hour. Then, remove the hocks from the liquid and set them aside. When they are cool enough to handle, use your hands to remove the skin and shred the meat, discarding any fat, sinews, and skin. Place the shredded meat in a large bowl.

Adding Flavourings and Packing the Terrine

At this stage, you can add additional flavourings to the shredded meat, such as chopped gherkins, capers, and parsley. Season the mixture with black pepper and mix well. Line a loaf tin or terrine dish with cling film, then pack the meat tightly into the prepared tin or dish.

Preparing the Jelly

To make the jelly that will hold the terrine together, you'll need to use the cooking liquid from the hocks. Strain the liquid into a clean pan and boil it to reduce the volume and intensify the flavour. The amount of reduction will depend on the desired concentration of gelatine and the desired final volume of liquid. For a stronger 'glue' for the terrine, remove more water during the reduction process.

Once the liquid has been reduced, you'll need to add gelatine to create the jelly. Soak the gelatine in cold water until it's soft, then squeeze out the excess water and stir the gelatine into the hot stock. Allow the mixture to cool.

Assembling and Setting the Terrine

Slowly pour the cooled, reduced liquid into the loaf tin or terrine dish, covering the meat completely. Cover the dish with cling film and place it in the refrigerator to set overnight. For a firmer terrine, you can place a couple of food tins or other heavy items on top to compact the mixture further. The terrine will be ready to serve after it has set, and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Preparing the loaf tin

Firstly, ensure you have a loaf tin of the appropriate size. Most recipes suggest a 900g or 1-litre loaf tin, but this may vary depending on the quantity of ingredients you are using. It is important to choose a tin that is not too large, as you want the mixture to fit snugly and set firmly.

Before lining the tin, some recipes suggest greasing it lightly with oil or water. This step is optional but can help the cling film adhere to the sides of the tin. Take a large sheet of cling film and lay it out on a flat work surface. Repeat this process, slightly overlapping the first sheet, to create a very large layer. You will need enough cling film to line the tin with some excess hanging over the sides. This excess will be used to seal the terrine later. Repeat this layering process two more times, so you have a triple or quadruple thickness of cling film.

Now, you are ready to line the loaf tin. Wet the inside of the tin lightly, if desired, and carefully fit the cling film into the tin, ensuring it is smooth and free of any air bubbles. Allow the excess cling film to overhang the sides of the tin. This lining step is important as it creates a barrier between the mixture and the tin, making it easier to remove the terrine later and helping it to retain its shape.

Some recipes suggest adding a few whole parsley leaves to the bottom of the lined loaf tin before adding the mixture. This is an optional step but can create a pretty, decorative effect when the terrine is sliced.

With the loaf tin prepared, you are now ready to assemble and set your hock terrine!

Making the jelly

Next, strain the stock into a clean pan, discarding the solids. Boil the stock vigorously to reduce it, with some recipes calling for a reduction to about 600ml (1 pint). This reduction step is important as it concentrates the gelatine released from the hock during cooking, creating a stronger jelly.

To make the jelly, you'll need to use gelatine. Soak the gelatine in cold water for about 5 minutes to soften it. Squeeze out the excess water and add the gelatine to the hot, reduced stock, stirring well to combine. Allow the mixture to cool.

Now, it's time to assemble the terrine. Line a loaf tin or terrine mould with cling film, creating multiple layers to ensure no leaks. Add the shredded ham to the tin, along with any additional flavourings like gherkins or capers. Slowly pour the cooled stock-and-gelatine mixture (also known as the jelly) into the tin, ensuring it just covers the meat. Cover with more cling film and chill overnight, or until the jelly has set.

Once set, you can remove the hock terrine from the mould and slice it into portions. Serve it with crusty bread, a garnish of fresh herbs, and perhaps some piccalilli or chutney on the side.

Shredding the ham

Once the meat is shredded, it's time to add the flavourings. This could include gherkins, capers, parsley, mustard, pepper, or other herbs and spices. These additional ingredients will enhance the flavour of the ham and give it a unique taste. The shredded ham and flavourings are then mixed together in a large bowl. At this stage, you can also adjust the seasoning, adding more pepper or other spices to taste.

The next step is to pack the shredded ham mixture into a loaf tin or terrine dish. This is usually lined with cling film to make it easier to remove the terrine once it has set. You can also add some whole parsley leaves at the bottom of the tin for a pretty effect. The shredded ham should be packed down firmly into the tin, creating a compact mixture.

Once the tin is filled, the enriched cooking liquid (or stock) is slowly poured over the meat. This liquid will help to bind the meat together and set it into a terrine. It's important to use just enough liquid to cover the meat, creating a cohesive mixture. The tin is then covered and chilled, allowing the terrine to set and the flavours to meld together.

Serving suggestions

Ham hock terrine is a great starter for a dinner party, a buffet, or a casual dining menu. It can be made in advance and is inexpensive to make. Here are some serving suggestions:

• As a Starter: Serve the ham hock terrine as a starter for a dinner party or a casual dining menu. It can be served with crusty French bread, salad leaves, and a chilled white wine, like an appley white such as chenin blanc or Alsace pinot blanc.
• Buffet Spread: Ham hock terrine also works well as part of a buffet spread. It can be served alongside other dishes such as spinach ricotta and feta pie, raspberry and redcurrant jam, and lamb chops with redcurrant jus.
• Lunch or Picnic: For a light lunch or picnic option, serve the terrine with fresh bread or toast, pickled vegetables, chutney, and a salad garnish.
• With Sides: For a more substantial meal, serve the ham hock terrine with sides such as fried potatoes and white cabbage, or peas and beans.
• Accompaniments: To enhance the flavour of the terrine, serve it with a little dressing, piccalilli, or caper berries.
• Drinks: A chilled white wine pairs well with the ham hock terrine.

Frequently asked questions