‘I love making broths,” says Roberta Hall-McCarron, chef/owner at the holy trinity of Edinburgh restaurants: Eleanore, Ardfern and the Little Chartroom. “I always make a good amount to last a few days. It’s great for lunch or dinner with lots of crusty bread to dunk in. If you like it more brothy, just add more stock.”
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 3 garlic cloves
• 10g fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 200g pearl barley
• 140g turnip (or swede), peeled and cut into 5mm dice
• 6 spring onions, sliced
Method
1. Place the ham hock in a deep pot and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to a simmer, then strain off the water. Add 3 litres of fresh water and the garlic, thyme and bay leaf and bring back to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer gently for 4 hours until the meat is tender.
2. With 2 slotted spoons, remove the ham from the stock and set it aside until it’s cool enough to handle. Pick the meat into small bitesize pieces, discarding any bone, sinew or cartilage. Pass the stock through a fine sieve and measure 1.5 litres of it into a clean pot.
Advertisement
3. Bring the stock to the boil, then add the pearl barley and simmer for 15 min. Throw in the diced turnip or swede and cook until it is tender: about 5 min.
4. When the pearl barley and turnip are cooked, add the spring onions and meat, warm through and serve.
The Changing Tides by Roberta Hall-McCarron is out now (£25 Kitchen Press). Buy from timesbookshop.co.uk. Discount for Times+ members
