Carl Maunder
Executive Chef
This is a recipe I really enjoy making on a grey winter’s day when I have a bit of time at home. I tend to end up with leftover grains and pulses, such as lentils and barley. You can substitute these with whatever you have – chick peas, dried beans, fregola, orzo, freekeh etc.
The dish is packed with veggies, grains and natural gelatine you get from the hock, giving it a great texture. Typically, the hocks have enough salt to season this recipe without the need to add more.
It will make enough for 8-10 generously, it freezes well so it is perfect to save half and pull out for a rainy weekend lunch.
Ingredients
For the broth and hock
- 1 large or 2 x small bacon hocks
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp black peppercorn
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seed
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ brown onion, roughly chopped
- ½ celery stick, roughly chopped
- 1 fennel bulb trim
For the soup
- ¼ cup pearl barley
- ¼ cup red lentils
- ¼ cup dried mushroom
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 medium leek, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 1 fennel bulb, diced
- 1 courgette, diced
- 1 red capsicum, diced
- 3 stick spring onion, chopped
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. In a large pot, cover the bacon hocks with cold water, then bring to boil, drain the water and discard and then cover with cold water again. Add all of the remaining ingredients and bring to boil.
Reduce the temperature to a very gentle simmer, partially cover with the pot lid and simmer for 2.5 hours. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until warm. Once the hocks are cooled enough to handle, carefully remove from the broth. Remove the bones and the skin from the hock and roughly chop the meat. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discard the vegetable and spice.
2. While the broth is cooking separately rinse pearl barley and lentils in cold water and then cover with cold water and soak. Soak the dried mushroom in cold water.
3. Once the broth has cooled combine the onion, carrot, fennel, leek and celery in a large saucepan and cook gently over a medium heat until almost soft, about 7-8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to simmer. Chop the soaked mushroom and add to the broth along with the soaking liquor.
Drain pearl barley and add to the broth, simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the lentils and add to the broth along with the capsicum, courgette and spring onion, simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Finally add the bacon hock meat, parsley and a generous amount of cracked pepper.
4. Drizzle each bowl with a slug of good quality extra virgin olive oil and serve with some crusty bread on the side.
Carl has more than two decades of hospitality experience in a wide range of chef roles. Currently, he is the Executive Chef at InterContinental Hotel, Wellington, New Zealand. He has led three restaurants as an owner operator, comprising original concepts developed and launched by himself…
If you would like to learn more about Carl, see Expert: Carl Maunder.
