This is a truly authentic chinese recipe that braises a ham over a long time with wonderfully subtle yet flavour enhancing seasonings. The braising liquid reduces down to produce a rich sauce which combines beautifully with the pork.
This dish is easy to prepare, and can be cooked in advance. It is delicious either hot or cold.
Ingredients
Fresh ham, bone in - approximately 2.5kg
10 spring onions (chopped but not finely)
3 tablespoons groundnut oil
5 cm fresh ginger root, finely sliced
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 litre of water
240 ml dark soy sauce
240 ml shao shing wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons roasted sichuan peppercorns
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons sugar
4 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons five spice powder
salt to taste
Dry the ham thoroughly with a kitchen towel, and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Now take the largest casserole pot, large enough to hold the ham comfortably. Place on a medium heat and stir fry the ginger , garlic and spring onions in a little oil for 2 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Place the ham into the pot and brown the ham on all sides, turning regularly. This process will take approximately 10 minutes. Pour off the oil and add back the stir fried garlic, ginger and spring onions.
Now add the water, shao shing wine, and the rest of the seasonings to the pot. Bring to the boil and skim the surface of any impurities. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover tightly and cook at a simmer for between 4.5 and 5 hours. Gently turn the ham several times during cooking.
After cooking remove the ham carefully, it will be very tender, almost falling apart ! Pour off the cooking liquor into another pan, straining and remove any excess fat from the surface. On a moderate heat reduce this sauce down until it will coat the back of a spoon.
Serve hot or cold as part of a chinese banquet or as a single dish with plain boiled rice and stir fried vegetables of choice.
Delicious, and any left over goes great in fried rice, or with a bowl of noodles!
Enjoy!
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