Pea Ham Hock Watercress Salad Recipes

PEA, HAM HOCK & WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the peas in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 3 mins (or 1 min if frozen). Drain and run under cold water to stop them cooking. Whisk the dressing ingredients together with some seasoning until emulsified.
• Mix the ham hock with the peas, parsley and dressing in a large bowl. Transfer the salad to a platter or spoon onto individual plates. Scatter over the spring onions and watercress just before serving.

BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP WITH HAM AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a deep skillet or casserole and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the meat and cook, stirring, for a minute; then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and 4 cups water and bring to a boil; turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the peas are completely tender--10 minutes for cooked or canned black-eyed peas, about 30 minutes for frozen.
• Stir in the watercress and cook, stirring occasionally, for just a couple of minutes, or until it wilts. Add more water, if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning, stir in the remaining tablespoon oil, and serve.
• With Minimal effort: The meat can be prosciutto or ham; you can use bacon or pancetta instead, but cook them a little longer. Instead of onion, you can use garlic, leek, or shallots. Black-eyed peas are the traditional choice, but any legume will work perfectly well. For the watercress, substitute arugula or spinach, or any winter green, like kale, mustard, collards, and turnips, all of which will take a little longer to cook--add them to the soup along with the peas. Liquid condiments, like Tabasco or another hot sauce or vinegar, are good here. Increase the amount of meat to 1/2 pound or so (this is especially good with ham), double the amount of greens, and cook the soup until it's thick; you can call it a stew.

SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM HOCKS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and carrots over medium-high heat. Add peas and ham hock and cover with stock by a couple inches. Bring to a simmer and cook about 1 hour until soup is thick and peas have almost disintegrated but not quite. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove ham hock and let cool. Pull meat from ham hock bone and shred. Garnish with ham and pepper.

HAM AND PEA SALAD

Steps:

• In a serving bowl, combine the peas, ham, cheese and onion. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.

HAM AND PEA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add the peas, ham, cheese, and onion; stir to combine.
• Add the dressing; stir to coat.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.