Ham Hock Terrine & Piccalilly

Something I've been wanting to make for a long time. Given to me by Mark Hix's PA. Seems like this dish is appearing on every other gastropub's menu these days, but I trust that Hix' recipe is best, which is why I asked for it. There's the more traditional version that I love and grew up with, jambon persille & mustard, and better yet although a lot different, fromage de tete (would need to check with HQ before I boil a pig head in the house though). It's possible that one can get away with using the calf foot because the hamhock lets off some natural gelatin. I might hesitate as one risks losing flavor this way. A leftover idea is to shove pieces of the terrine between two best quality pieces of bread/bun, smother with piccalilli and a few lettuce leaves (inspired by a ham and piccalilli sandwich I had at John Torode's new resto, Luxe, at Spitafields).

1 ham hock, 1 kg, soaked overnight in cold water

a few sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

2 medium onions, peeled & quartered

3 celery stalks

10 black peppercorns

9g (3 sheets of) gelatine (or a calf foot)

2 tblsp chopped parsley

piccalilli

1 med cucumber, halved lengthwise and deseeded

1/2 large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets then halved

1 onion, peeled and cut into large dice

1 tbsp salt

150 g caster sugar

65 g English mustard

1/2 tsp ground termeric

1 small chilli, deseeded & finely chopped

150 ml malt vinegar

125 ml of white wine vinegar

1 level tbsp cornflour

1. at least a week ahead, make the piccalilli: cut the cucumber in half again lengthwise, then cut into 1 cm pieces; put them in a dish with the cauliflower and onion, then sprinkle with salt; leave for 1 hour, then rinse well in cold water and drain in a colander.
2. in a saucepan, mix the sugar, mustard, turmeric, chilli and the two vinegars then bring to the boil and simmer 2-3 mins.
3. meanwhile, mix the cornflour with 150 ml water, whisk into the vinegar mixture and continue to simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Mix the hot liquid with the vegetables and leave the mixture to cool. Store in the fridge in sterilized Kilner jars for at least a week before use and up to 6 months.
4. put the hock into a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients except the gelatine and parsley; bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 hours, until the hock is tender (the cooking time may vary according to the cut and size. Remove from the liquid and leave to cool.
5. skim off any fat. For a hock this size you will need to remove about 350 ml of the cooking liquid to ensure it sets; however, a hock will generally produce more natural gelatine so add one less sheet of gelatine if using hock.
6. soak the gelatine leaves in a shallow bowl of cold water for a minute or so until soft. Squeeze out the water and add to the hot cooking liquor with the parsley and stir until dissovled. Leave somewhere to cool, but don't let it set.
7. meanwhile, cut the hame into rough 1 cm cubes, removing any fat and put it in a bowl. Mix in a little of the cooled stock and pack into either a suitable-sized terrine mould or a similarly-shaped rectangular container. Top up with the remaining stock.
8. cover with cling film, and leave to set in fridge over night.
9. to serve, briefly--about 15 seconds-- dip the terrine into a bowl of boiling water and then turn it upside down onto a chopping board to turn out.
10. with a carving knife, cut into 2 cm thick slices & serve with spoonful of piccalilli