“Why would you go to a restaurant if all you want to eat is a salad? A restaurant is a place of indulgence.”

^{-Harrison Barraclough}

Harrison Barraclough was one of a team of leading local chefs running demonstrations at the Scarborough SeaFest last summer.

At 25 he was one of the youngest chefs ever to win an AA culinary award, and now he’s moved on to his own venture, restaurant-with-rooms The George, at Wath, just outside Ripon.

He told me that he features a lot of fresh, local food on his menu, some of it grown in the restaurant’s own kitchen garden – and that is where the chocolate mint is sourced (I’ve already ordered some of that – post  to come). But he can’t be doing with customers who just come in and want a lettuce leaf – what a waste of the professional chef’s creativity and skill. Couldn’t agree more!

Harrison first demonstrated an impressive squid ink risotto with haddock and quails’ eggs, but I thought this dish, which can easily be made ahead, and assembled at the last minute, would prove more useful for Saucy Dressings’ readers.

Recipe for ham hock terrine with fresh peas and pea shoots

For eight as a starter – PLUS you will be left with about half the ham hock terrine to eat later for lunch

Ingredients for the pea purée

• 800g/1 lb 12 oz – or thereabouts bag of frozen peas
• 25g/1 oz fresh mint leaves – yes, chocolate mint if you have it
• 120ml/½ cup single cream
• 100g/4 oz butter
• 1 tsp smoked salt
• 10 grinds Indonesian long pepper

Ingredients for the ham hock terrine

• 550g/1 lb 4 oz pulled ham hock (ready-cooked, off the bone)
• 25g/1 oz flat-leaved parsley, chopped, including stalks
• 1 sheet of gelatine (or two if you want it to stick together better and make a real terrine)
• 140 ml/1 cup chicken stock made with just-boiled water and 2 generous tsps. chicken stock powder
• 60 ml/¼ cup pink vermouth
• 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
• 4 tbsps lime (or lemon) pickle
• 10 grinds Indonesian long pepper

Ingredients for the garnish

• 190g/7 oz fresh, ready-shelled garden peas (cooked as per instructions)
• 75g/3 oz pea shoots (of lambs lettuce if you can’t get it)
• 250g/8 oz fresh buffalo mozzarella – if you are lucky enough to live in London, get this from La Latteria
• pomegranate molasses

Ingredients for the dressing

• ½ lime – juice and zest
• 8 tbsps/120 ml/½ cup walnut oil
• 1 tsp smoked salt
• Freshly ground pepper

 Method – pea purée

1. Cook the peas with the butter for about four minutes
2. Set aside about 16 of the nicest mint leaves and reserve for garnish
3. Whizz the peas, the rest of the mint leaves, the cream and the seasoning together, either with a stick blender or in the magimix
4. Cover the surface of the purée with cling film to stop it going brown – it’ll keep like this in the fridge for a day or so
5. It should be quite liquid (you should be able to make a thickish ‘puddle’) – if not add more cream

Method – ham hock terrine

1. Line eight dariole moulds (or ramekins) with clingfilm, and another vessel which will take the remainder.
2. Pat the ham hock mixture down into these.
3. Soak the gelatin in cold water for about five minutes to soften. Remove, squeeze to get rid of excess water, and add to hot stock and vermouth
4. Pour over the shredded ham, and push down with the back of a spoon to get rid of any air.
5. Cover with clingfilm, put in the fridge and leave overnight.

Method – final assembly

1. Mix the dressing ingredients, and dress the cooked fresh peas, and pea shoots well, to coat.
2. Lay out your eight plates
3. Spread some pea purée onto the centre of each
4. Remove the ham hock terrine from the moulds or ramekins – put one on each plate
5. Add the salad, tear over some of the drained mozzarella, scatter over the reserved mint leaves, and drizzle over a little pomegranate molasses or thick balsamic vinegar.

For a recipe for sparkling, jellied ham follow this link.

^{This post is dedicated, with thanks, to Harrison Barraclough.}