A NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD TO DISCOVER.
I didn’t get very far (just five minutes down the road from the last place) but with this new location comes a totally new high street to explore, that of West Didsbury.
Amidst the leafy tree lined roads, polished period housing and shabbier properties full of promise, cheek by jowl sit an eclectic collection of independent bars, restaurants, clothing and interiors boutiques.
As an area it feels quirky, lively and full of fun and games and all this played a large part in bringing us to this side of Dids. Food for all moods is catered for and as you might imagine, we’re currently exploring the offerings of the area in some detail. It’s a hard job but it simply must be done.
During Saturdays trip down Burton Road on the way to Folk (great rose vino was calling) we stopped in at Moth. It’s an interiors store that’s very reminiscent of the cool homeware shops in Amsterdam’s 9 Streets – and it’s nice to have access to quirky and affordable home design right on the doorstep.
I’d planned an economical and easy dinner and on setting foot in Moth decided that I simply couldn’t blog it unless I was in possession of some of their bits. It just wouldn’t do. I scooped up several small textured bowls that look hand thrown and as if they have fabric set under the glaze, a small industrial antique looking tray, a rubber-wood spoon and textured glass jar. With this (somewhat random) collection of kitchen paraphernalia our dinner would look splendid. I was sold.
Ham hock, mint, broad beans and wholegrain mustard are a fantastic marriage of flavours and in this combination on top of crispy crostinis they taste vibrant, healthy and of springtime. If you fancied the combination hot, you could easily bind them with some fluffy mashed potato, form them into small cakes and fry gently until crispy and golden in unsalted butter. Woof.
For around 12 to 15 crostinis
The ham – buy a cooked one if you don’t have time to poach your own, but if you do have the time doing your own is very satisfying, ingredients needed listed below:
- One ham hock (or as the local butcher told me, in MCR it’s a ham shank) uncooked
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 large golden onion, peeled and quartered
- A bay leaf
- A teaspoon of peppercorns
The minted broadbeans and crostini
- 350g shelled broadbeans – easiest way to pod them is to plunge the frozen beans into boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water and then shell by pinching a hole in one end with your fingers, and then squeezing the pod out.
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons natural yogurt, you could also use ricotta
- A large pinch of grated Parmesan
- Black pepper
- A glug of extra virgin olive oil
- French baguette, cut into slender rounds
The vinaigrette
- A heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard
- One shot rice vinegar, you could also use cider vinegar if you prefer
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 shot extra virgin olive oil
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- A small pinch fresh chopped parsley
- A couple of pinches sugar
Method
- Place the ham ingredients into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours if you have time, let the meat go totally cold in the pot. This will make sure the meat is as tender as can be (truly butter-like) but it takes a good few hours extra, so if you don’t have time, take the ham out after 3 hours cooking time and let it go cold separately so it’s quicker to use.
- Once cool simply shred the meat from the bone with your fingers, discarding as much of the fat as possible, leaving you with just the soft pink meat, then set aside.
- Into a food processor place the broadbeans (but leave out a handful of them), mint, olive oil, yogurt and a generous grind of black pepper, pulse until coarsely combined, then decant into a bowl and stir in the last of the broad beans, and the grated Parmesan, set aside.
- Into a cup or jar place all the vinaigrette ingredients – you won’t need salt as the ham is saltyish and the Parmesan also provides body and seasoning – and stir or shake until totally combined.
- When you’re ready to eat, heat a frying pan on a high heat and dry fry the crostinis on both sides until they’re golden, then remove, top with the broad beans, followed by the shredded ham, and then spoon the vinaigrette over the top before each is eaten – this ensures the crostinis stay crisp.