This dish brings together celery – leaves and all – with celeriac and ham hock.
Serves 4
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- 4 eggs
- 1 ham hock, soaked in cold water overnight
- 4 sticks of celery
- 1 small or half a head of celeriac, peeled
- Handful of celery leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp malt or white wine vinegar
For the dressing:
-
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp grain mustard
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable or corn oil
- Salt and pepper
1. Rinse off the ham hock, place in a large saucepan and cover well with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 2 hours, or until the meat is just coming away from the bone. Leave to cool in the liquid.
2. Cut the celeriac into rough 2cm, odd-sized pieces and blanch in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.
3. Cut the celery into centimetre-thick slices on the angle and blanch for a minute in the celeriac water; drain and leave to cool.
4. Heat the olive oil in a heavy or non-stick frying pan and fry the pieces of celeriac for 3-4 minutes, seasoning lightly as they are cooking, until they are lightly coloured. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool a little.
5. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the malt or white wine vinegar. To synchronise cooking the eggs, carefully crack them into cups then pour into the pan of simmering water for a couple of minutes. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and dry on kitchen paper.
6. For the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Remove the ham hock from the bone and break into bite-sized pieces. Arrange the celeriac, celery and celery leaves on serving plates. Add the ham hock, spoon over the dressing and place a poached egg on the top.