Ham Hock Salad with English Mustard & Lentil Dressing

• Soak the ham hocks in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water occasionally.
• Bring to the boil in fresh cold water, then simmer, It must be a simmer, not a raging boil, or the meat will become tough and stringy, especially the outside 3-4cm.
• A good tip here, taste the water after simmering for 5 minutes. If it's salty, tip out the water and start again. If not salty, add a little salt and a few peppercorns
• Then simmer the hocks for 2hrs 30 mins exactly, in plenty of water with bay leaves and black peppercorns.
• When cooked, remove the pan from the stove and leave to cool in the liquor, then chill well in the stock.
• To prepare the hocks, remove from the jelly and wash them off under warm water.
• Remove all the skin and gristle, and pull the lobes of meat off the bone. Remove most of the fat, and cut the meat into bite sized pieces.
• Place the egg yolks, mustard powder, pepper, salt, sugar, and vinegar in a bowl.
• Whisk together, gradually add the vegetable oil until completely emulsified, check the seasoning, and adjust if needed. Also, add a little water to form a thick but not too thick mayonnaise.
• Add the sliced shallots, herbs and cooked green lentils.
• Place in the fridge and leave for overnight if possible. Then check the seasoning and adjust with vinegar and stir well.

To Serve

• Place some of the dressing into a small pan and add a few pieces of ham hock warm through gently.
• Once warm, spoon over a mix of watercress and lettuce leaves and mix well, but carefully, pile onto a plate and place tomato wedges around the outside.
• Serve warm or as a main course with some boiled new potatoes.