Recipe Question

[Mad Cow]

I know a few of you make the pea and ham soup in the MASD book. Tell me do you put the bacon hock in the pot right from the start. I have grown up cooking the hock the day before and then letting it stand over night for the fat and scum to set and then skimming that off. And I actually take the meat out and start in a whole new pot cos of all the jelly like stuff thats in the bottom of the pot. So if I cooked it altogether this jelly would be in the soup????????? Am I fussy or is this OK?  As there actually is hardly any fat on top of the water once I have let it stand, I figure I don't need to do this. Anyway, I know I'm long winded, but please tell me what you do!

[Woodpecker]

Hi Sue,
I dont do all that preparation stuff....just wash the hock off well and remove excess fat and then put it all in the pot...and voila~!  Never any jelly stuff that I can see, but full of yummy flavour (AND HIDDEN FAT!!) 
Cheerio
Cheryl

[Kiwismum]

I would imagine that if you don't keep the liquid that you orignally cooked your bacon hock in then you would lose most of the flavour.

You might have guessed from that comment I make soup using a bacon hock I keep all the orginal cooking liquid to make the soup.

[mollykate]

I made pea and ham soup in the crock pot yesterday and was very surprised at how little fat there was on the top this morning. I took the hock out last night and skimmed the bit of fat off the cold soup this morning. Had some for lunch today and it was delicious. I think you're just being fussy MC  but those old habits can be hard to break.

[Mad Cow]

Thank you ladies, I knew I was probably being fussy. And re the 'stock' made from the hock, I did ladle that out until I got down to the jellied stuff. Will make hock, stock and barrel (get it?) now................and give you a verdict on the difference.

[Mad Cow]

Soup was absolutely fine, and so much less fluffling around.

[kiwigirl]

Have never made soup with a bone or anything else dead in it in my life. Not unless you count a very limp celery stalk.