Phoenix Rising

Gammon & Winter Vegetable Soup

Well I say soup… this is a sort of stew/casserole or what we in the UK call a BIG soup.

Ingredients

• Large piece of Gammon (Smoked or Unsmoked your choice)
• Carrots (cut into 1cm pieces)
• Swede (diced into 1cm pieces)
• Potatoes (cut into large chunks of about 2inches, probably just halved)
• Small Onions (or shalots if you prefer)
• Olive Oil
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

1. Blanch the Gammon by placing in large stock pot with enough cold water to cover, and bringing rapidly to the boil. Drain and rinse the Gammon.
2. Place Gammon back into pot and cover with fresh water.
3. Bring back to the boil and add your stock cube (or indeed bouquette garni if you prefer) Gammon normally takes about 40 mins per pound + another 40 mins to cook simmering, so set your cooking time accordingly.
4. Meanwhile peel the onions and blanch by placing in cold water and bringing to the boil.
5. Drain and pat dry on kitchen paper.
6. Place a small amount of olive oil and butter in a hot pan, and saute the onions caramilising the outer layer slightly, set aside.
7. 45 minutes before the gammon is cooked, add the vegetables including the onions, and continue to simmer for the remaining 45 mins.

To Serve

• Take the Gammon out of pot and remove any binding string and the outer layer of fat and rind.
• Shred this and put into a hot serving dish.
• Cover with the vegetables using a slotted spoon.
• drop a couple of knobs of butter in the remaining liquor, and heat to disolve, beating to add a bit of shine to it, and cover over the Gammon and vegetables.
• Serve immediately, although this can be covered in tin foil and kept reasonably well in a warm oven. If doing this, the vegetable will remain cooking, so it is wise to slightly undercook them (say 30 mins instead of the 45) initially.