Recipe: Irving’s farm smoked ham hock with pickled cucumber salad, pea sauce and ginger spiced peanuts

Smoked ham hock with pickled cucumber saladLast month I took in Indulgence Edmonton, an annual event that brings together local food and agriculture community with restaurants and VQA wineries, microbreweries & distillers. This year, the Delta Edmonton South Hotel and Conference Centre‘s Chef De Cuisine Rabih Hyar was paired with Nicola & Alan Irving of Irvings Farm Fresh and Conviction.  For the occasion, Chef Hyar created a dish featuring Irving’s farm smoked ham hock with pickled cucumber salad, pea sauce and ginger spiced peanuts.

I grew up eating pork hocks, so I always love when chefs take the opportunity to showcase this cut of meat. Had I been quick enough at the event, I would have gone back for seconds. Thanks to Chef Hyar and the Delta Edmonton South Hotel and Conference Centre for sharing the recipe and congrats on another successful Indulgence Edmonton.

Chef De Cuisine Rabih Hyar, Delta Edmonton South Hotel and Conference Centre shows off his Indulgence Edmonton 2016 dish with producer Alan Irving of Irvings Farm Fresh
Chef De Cuisine Rabih Hyar, Delta Edmonton South Hotel and Conference Centre shows off his Indulgence Edmonton 2016 dish with producer Alan Irving of Irvings Farm Fresh

Ingredients

Braised ham hock:
1 pc smoked ham hock from Irving’s farm
2 ltrs vegetable stock
Pickled red pepper
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Cucumber salad:
1 English cucumber thinly sliced
1 large carrot chopped small dice
½ red pepper small dice
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Pea sauce:
½ ltr ham broth
¼ red onion chopped
1 tbsp salted butter
250 grm frozen peas
2 oz rum

Ginger spiced peanuts:
200 gram chopped roasted peanuts
1 tsp ground ginger
1tsp granulated sugar
1 egg whit

Preparation

1. For the cucumber salad, combine vinegar sugar and salt in a small sauce pot, heat up until all sugar is dissolved, set aside to cool down. In 2 separate containers combine cucumber and carrots in one and the pepper in the other, pour in the vinegar mixture into both containers and let it sit for 30 minutes in the fridge.

2. For the ham hock, braise the ham using the vegetables stock on a medium/ low heat until fully cooked and the meat is falling off the bone. Pull the meat then add salt, pepper, cilantro, pickled red pepper. Mix well and keep it in the fridge.

3. For the pea sauce, in a sauce pot sautéed the onion with butter until onion is translucent, add the rum and let simmer for 1 minute then add the vegetable stock, when it boil add the peas, salt and pepper then immediately remove from heat and puree using a blender.

4. For the peanut, whisk the egg white until doubled in size, in a separate bowl, combine sugar ginger and peanut then fold it into the egg white. Using a flat baking pan with parchment paper bake the peanut for 5 minutes at 350 F.

Serving:

Combine the pickled cucumber and carrots with the peanuts, Divide the ham mixture into 4 equal portions, using a hot sautéed pan and salted butter, pan fry the ham for about 1 minute on each side and place on top of the salad. Serve with warm pea sauce on the side.