Pigs Trotters Recipe

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.

Ingredients

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Braised pig's trotters

2 hind pig's trotters
1 large onion
1 large carrot
3 stalks of celery
1 knob of butter
200ml of white wine
200ml of Madeira
1 handful of fresh thyme
2 tomatoes
2 bulbs of garlic
1.5l beef stock
1.5l chicken stock
1 tsp five-spice powder
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper

Croutons

1 wholemeal baguette
extra virgin olive oil

To serve

50g of Parmesan, grated
100g of rocket
1 tbsp of sherry vinegar

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Blowtorch
Large casserole pot

Soak the hind trotters for 12 hours in cold water, and remove any hairs with a blowtorch

2 hind pig's trotters, soak

Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5

Chop the peeled carrot, onion and celery into 1cm dice, then cook in butter in a casserole pot until golden brown

1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 knob of butter

Add the white wine and reduce to a glaze, then do the same with the Madeira

200ml of white wine
200ml of Madeira

Place the trotters in the pot and add the thyme, tomatoes, garlic and the stocks, then cover the casserole with greaseproof paper

1 handful of fresh thyme
2 tomatoes
2 bulbs of garlic
1.5l beef stock
1.5l chicken stock

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

Strain the stock through a fine sieve and set aside for further use

Remove the soft cooked skin from the bone, discarding any pieces of cartilage

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

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

Place a small spoonful of the trotter mixture on top of each crouton, using a spoon to shape into a slight dome

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

salt
pepper
1 tsp five-spice powder
2 tsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4

The trotter mixture should be at room temperature and soft enough to work with

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)

50g of Parmesan

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

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Martin Wishart

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

Braised pig's trotter croutons

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