Creamy celeriac, mustard & ham hock soup

Ingredients

For 8 servings

• •1 unsmoked ham hock or gammon knuckle, weighing roughly 1.2kg
• •2 bay leaves
• •1 c. à soupe olive or rapeseed oil plus extra to serve
• •1 large onion halved and sliced
• •1 eating apple (we used Braeburn), cored and cut into chunks
• •1 large celeriac washed and cut into chunks (or peeled if very dirty)
• •100 g crème fraîche plus extra to serve
• •2 c. à soupe Dijon mustard
• •crusty bread to serve

Method

1. 1.Put the ham hock in a large pan with the bay leaves. Cover with water, bring to the boil and cook over a low-medium heat for 2 hrs, until the meat is very tender. Top up the pan with more water as needed while the ham cooks. Alternatively, cook the ham hock in a pressure cooker for 30 mins. Remove the ham and strain the stock into a jug. Remove and discard the rind, shred the meat and set aside until needed.
2. 2.In the same pan, heat the oil over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for 10 mins, then add the apple and celeriac. Taste a little of the ham stock – if it is very salty, add water to dilute it. You’ll need about 1 litre in total (freeze any that’s left over for making more soup or risotto). Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 mins or until the celeriac is very tender.
3. 3.Add the crème fraîche and mustard to the soup, then blitz with a hand blender. Check and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
4. 4.Warm the ham hock in a pan or the microwave. Serve the soup topped with a swirl of crème fraîche and a few drops of good olive oil, and a pile of ham hock – or make a ham and cheese toastie for dunking. Leftover ham hock will keep frozen for up to two months.