Braised pig's trotter croutons
Item 1 of 1
- 6
- 3 hours
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
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
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
SAVE RECIPE
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 hind pig's trotters, soak
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
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 knob of butter
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
- 1 handful of fresh thyme
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 bulbs of garlic
- 1.5l beef stock
- 1.5l chicken stock
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
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 2 tsp fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
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)
- 50g of Parmesan
16
Serve on a plate with rocket leaves that have been dressed with the sherry vinegar
- 100g of rocket
- 1 tbsp of sherry vinegar
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