Braised pig's trotter croutons

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Martin Wishart braises pigs trotters in a flavour-packed stock with Madeira, garlic, five-spice and Worcestershire sauce, to create a deliciously meaty topping for crisp-baked croutons. This hearty starter is well worth the effort to rediscover this little-used cut of pork.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Braised pig's trotters

Croutons

  • 1 wholemeal baguette
  • extra virgin olive oil

To serve

Equipment

  • Blowtorch
  • Large casserole pot

Method

1
Soak the hind trotters for 12 hours in cold water, and remove any hairs with a blowtorch
2
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5
3
Chop the peeled carrot, onion and celery into 1cm dice, then cook in butter in a casserole pot until golden brown
4
Add the white wine and reduce to a glaze, then do the same with the Madeira
  • 200ml of white wine
  • 200ml of Madeira
5
Place the trotters in the pot and add the thyme, tomatoes, garlic and the stocks, then cover the casserole with greaseproof paper
6
Cook in the oven for 2 hours until the trotters are golden brown and soft, then allow to cool before removing them from the pot
7
Strain the stock through a fine sieve and set aside for further use
8
Remove the soft cooked skin from the bone, discarding any pieces of cartilage
9
While still warm, use a large knife to chop the trotters into small pieces so everything starts to congeal together, then place in a dish
10
Cut the baguette into 18 x 1cm slices, brush with olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown
  • 1 wholemeal baguette
  • extra virgin olive oil
11
Place a small spoonful of the trotter mixture on top of each crouton, using a spoon to shape into a slight dome
12
Season with salt and pepper and add the five-spice powder, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and a few spoons of the cooking stock, mixing everything together. Cover with cling film and put aside until ready to serve
13
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4
14
The trotter mixture should be at room temperature and soft enough to work with
15
Sprinkle the croutons with a good amount of grated Parmesan, then place them on a tray in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a hot grill to colour the croutons (this should take less than a minute)
16
Serve on a plate with rocket leaves that have been dressed with the sherry vinegar
  • 100g of rocket
  • 1 tbsp of sherry vinegar
First published in 2015

Although steeped in the techniques of the classical French kitchen, Martin Wishart’s culinary imagination has a distinctly contemporary edge.

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