Pork Hocks: 

4 X 700G smoked pork hocks

1 Onion, quartered

1 carrot, cut into chunks

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

4 cloves

Peel of 1 orange

Glaze:

¾ cup Marsala

200 g softened butter

¾ cup raw sugar

Splash of brandy

Recipe

Ask your butcher to remove the knuckle end of the hock and to ‘french’ the bones for a neat presentation.

Put the hocks in a stockpot or large casserole dish with the remaining ingredients and cover generously with cold water. Bring to the boil, skimming away any impurities that rise to the surface, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1½ hours. The meat needs to be very soft, but not falling off the bones. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the hocks to cool in the stock.

When hocks are completely cold, lift them out of the stock (which you can strain and reuse), and pat dry. Remove the skin and trim away any thick fatty bits. (they’ll make a great treat for the dog).

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. For the glaze, use a fork to beat the Marsala into the butter. Smear it all over the hocks and sprinkle them with sugar. Arrange the hocks in a deep roasting tin and pour in the reserved stock to a depth of about 3cm. This stops the hocks from sticking to the tin, keeps them moist and reduces down to make a lovely sauce. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the butter and sugar form a shiny dark glaze.

Remove the hocks from the roasting tin and keep warm while you make a quick sauce. Add a splash of brandy to the roasting tin and bubble vigorously over a high heat. Serve the glazed hocks with the sauce and heaps of mashed potatoes.

Serves 4.

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