Gammon stock

redruby

Yes, dont waste it, it will make a delicious soup, I dont have a recipe, I make it up as I go along, but I would start off with frying some onion in a heavy bottom pan, add any other chopped veg you might have, literally anything could go in, I would also add a couple of diced spuds, as your stock might be a bit salty.

Once this has fried off for a bit, add your stock to cover the veg( depending which lentils you have, you could add these now) bring to the boil, and then simmer till veg is cooked through.

I then liquidise mine, as I like a thick broth, but its up to you if you want to leave it with the chunky veg in, or you could do half and half and mix it together.

hth

Olliebeak

Pea Soup/Lentil Soup.

Sweat a couple of onions and lentils (or pre-soaked yellow split peas) in oil for about 10 mins with maybe some celery, leeks and carrots if you have them.

Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer until everything is cooked. Be careful it doesn't stick and keep checking the level of stock. It can be done in the Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker if you have one.

Blitz if you have a blender/whizzie stick or push through a sieve.

This kind of soup is different everytime you make it as it depends on whatever you have in the cupboard/fridge/freezer at the time.


.........ooops redruby beat me to it .

Pink.

Hi hayley_Jane,

I use it the same as Olliebeak and redruby and make lentil soup. I sweat an onion, a garlic clove and a few carrots in butter, then add the stock, red lentils and a potato. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked then blitz with a hand blender and chop in some leftover gammon.

There's an earlier thread with lots more ideas so I'll add your thread to it to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

hayley_jayne

Thanks so much for the help. I in the end (following your tips) have sweated off an onion and one cushed clove of garlic. Added the same quantity of water to the stock, added the onion, garlic some chilli powder and 250g red lentils then let it trundle in the slow cooker until the lentils cooked. Totally made up with it. I can't believe I have thrown the stock away in the past, what a waste!!

xxxx

Stephen_Leak

Try this next time ...

BOILED HAM plus PEA & HAM SOUP

If you are going to boil a ham joint, why not make some pea & ham soup as well.

For 2 servings of soup

INGREDIENTS

1 ham joint
500ml of water
125g (½ a 250g box) of dried peas
Ground black pepper to taste

METHOD

Rinse the ham in cold water, then soak the ham in cold water for at least 6 hours, changing the water once or twice if it is very salty, or according to any cooking instructions. If you are using dried peas, soak them in water according to the instructions.

Put the ham into a large saucepan and cover with fresh water. If you are using soaked dried peas, add them now. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering).

Put the lid on the saucepan and cook according to the cooking instructions on the ham. Remove any salty white scum, which will probably form on the surface of the water. Check the liquid level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

Remove the ham. Adjust the amount of water, if necessary, to the required quantity of soup.

If you are using fresh, frozen or tinned peas, add them now. Continue cooking until the peas are soft. Check the liquid level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

If you have a food processor, put the soup in it and blend it to the desired consistency. If you have a hand blender, put it in the soup and blend it to the desired consistency. If you don’t have a food processor or hand blender, use a potato masher, press the soup through a sieve with the back of a spoon, or leave it lumpy.

Season with the pepper. Continue to cook for another couple of minutes.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

You can use dried, fresh, frozen or tinned peas. However, dried peas have to be soaked in advance.

Shred some of the ham and add it to the soup before serving.

TIPS

Pea soup can be any consistency from a thin liquid with soft peas floating in it to a thick paste you can stand a spoon up in.

redmel1621

Hi

I have a Lovely Gammon joint cooking away in the slow cooker at the moment...once it is done, can I use the water and juice to do anything or am I best just chucking it? I'm sure I saw it mentioned that this can be made into soup or something!

Regards
Mel x

Allegra

Don't chuck it ! The liquid you have cooked the gammon in is excellent stock - just use it in any recipes that call for stock. Or simply cook some peas in it and whizz up in a blender for a tasty (yet frugal) pea and ham soup.

redmel1621

Ah Thanks - I was unsure about it:o

Mel x

Kerfuffle

Definately don't chuck it! Just bear in mind that it could be quite salty as the salts used for preserving the gammon will have come out.

I used some in a pea soup which was inedible due to the salt, I'm not sure how to get around this although somebody else may be able to offer advice.

I also used some as a base for a River Cottage Parsley Sauce recipe and it was the best parsley sauce I've ever tasted and I received lots of compliments on it.

I hope you make use of it somehow though, certainly freeze it in smaller portions until you've decided.

Toodles.

redmel1621

Would adding extra water to it dilute the salt...or would that just dilute the flavour too and spoil it?