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Húsvéti sonka
Smoked ham with eggs and horseradish
Húsvéti sonka: Hungarian Easter smoked ham with eggs and fresh horseradish
On Easter Sunday morning in Hungary the table is laid with húsvéti sonka, a whole smoked pork ham simmered slowly the day before, sliced cold and served with eggs hard-boiled in the ham's cooking water, freshly grated horseradish, spring onions and braided kalács. The cooking water then becomes the base of a bean or lentil soup the next day. Use a raw-smoked (uncooked) ham from a Hungarian or Polish butcher. Chef's tip: soak the ham overnight to draw out salt, and cool it in its cooking water so it stays juicy.
- Total time
- 195 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 head garlichalved
- 1 onionhalved
- 10 eggs
- 1 fresh horseradishabout 150 g, peeled and finely grated
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 1 braided Easter bread (kalács)sliced
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 5 ½ lb raw-smoked pork ham, on or off the bone in cold water in the fridge overnight. Drain.
Step 2: Put it in a large pot, cover with fresh cold water and add 3 bay leaves, 10 black peppercorns, 1 head garlic and 1 onion. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer and skim.
30 minStep 3: Simmer very gently for about 2½ hours (about 1 hour per kg), until a skewer slides in easily and a thermometer in the thickest part reads at least 145°F. A common mistake is boiling it hard, which makes the ham dry and stringy.
150 minStep 4: Turn off the heat and let the ham cool in its water for at least 1 hour; this is its rest. Lift it out and chill.
Step 5: Boil 10 eggs in the ham water for 10 minutes, then cool.
10 minStep 6: Slice the ham thinly and serve cold with the eggs, 1 fresh horseradish, 1 bunch spring onions and 1 braided Easter bread (kalács).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does húsvéti sonka take?
- About 195 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
- What can I use instead of black peppercorns?
- Ground black pepper, a little less than the amount.
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