I found a smoked ham hock nestling in our freezer
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales, Discoveries | 4 comments
Yesterday, I decided to go treasure hunting in the freezer. Usually I find loads of stuff with freezer burn. Today I spotted a smoked ham hock. Not just any old ham hock. This discovery shifted Danny from the swing seat. He had to check that I wasn’t teasing. The dogs were alarmed. I don’t think they’d ever seen him run before.
We enjoy Mark Hix’s Saturday column in The Independent. He comes across as a thoroughly good bloke and his recipes work well. He also occasionally recommends suppliers and last year pointed us to the best smoked ham hock that we had ever tasted.
So good in fact that any day out, anywhere in England, seems to mysteriously include a visit to Richardson’s Smokery, Orford, Suffolk. Their website is http://www.richardsonssmokehouse.co.uk Everything that we have tasted from this establishment, from their bacon to their hot smoked salmon, is excellent. The smoked eel is wonderful and has foodie friends baying for more. Richardson’s has an attractive quirkiness that draws you back. They do mail order. The ham hocks, if you can bear to give them away, make good presents and they freeze well. They were under a fiver a piece when we last bought one. No, we are not related to Steve Richardson or any of his staff. We just like the place.
We usually combine the trip to the smokery with a pig-out at the Butley Orford Oysterage, just around the corner from the smokery. The Oysterage specialises in fish and seafood dishes. You need to book, as it’s always very busy 01394 450277. The food and people watching are both excellent. We had our Christmas Works Outing there last year, just the two of us enjoying a long exquisite meal.
There is no connection between Richardson’s smokehouse and the Butley Orford Oysterage, as the Oysterage clearly underlines on their menu. The Oysterage has its own smokery and oyster beds.
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Hi Veronica
Thanks for dropping by.
Even though I smoke my own ham hocks these days your ham hocks are wonderful. If we are in the area we always stop to buy a couple of yours!
I really enjoy visiting your smokehouse. Unfortunately it’s a rare event these days as we live an hour and a half away.
just to let you know that we boil our own ham hocks and gammons at the Smokehouse and I’m not sure where the guy in Coddenham is buying his hocks from ours are all locally sourced, and the price at the moment is £5.00 each. We pride ourselves on quality and we try to keep our prices reasonable, if you want cheap as chips go to Tesco’s.
Dear Veronica. I don’t know if you will see this message. I’m very sorry to read about your husband. My sincere condolences. Would it be possible to have a quick chat with you on the telephone? I understand you no longer run the Smokehouse but it does have a connection to what I wanted to say. Thanks I await your reply.
yup, you’re right, they are good hocks from orford. but even better (and cheaper) are the ones you can buy in coddenham stores just north of ipswich. he boils his own and you can also buy his home cooked ham. PLUS…bet it’s cheaper too!