Lentil Vegetable with Ham Roast and Pears

Ingredients

• 1 kg lightly pickled pork ham (with bone and rind)
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 1 stalk leeks
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 small piece cinnamon stick
• 100 g apple jelly
• 0.5 lemon (juice)
• 1 tsp Paprika powder (sweet)
• a pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1 stalk leeks
• 2 carrots
• 250 g field lentils
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 pears
• 2 tbsp butter
• a splash dry white wine
• 1 tbsp honey
• pepper (ground)
• 2 tbsp chives sprigs (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the ham and place it in a large pot. Wash, peel, and roughly dice the onions, carrots, and leeks. Add peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaves, and cinnamon to the meat. Pour cold water until the meat is well covered. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for about 2 hours, adding water as needed.

2. 2.

   Remove the cooked ham from the broth and let it cool slightly. Then peel off the rind and place the ham in a roasting pan.

3. 3.

   Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) with both top and bottom heat.

4. 4.

   Warm the apple jelly with lemon juice, paprika powder, and cayenne pepper in a small pot until melted. Brush the ham with this glaze and continue brushing it with the remaining glaze while baking for about 1.5 hours until the meat easily pulls away from the bone and falls apart. During the last ~30 minutes, top with chopped parsley.

5. 5.

   For the lentils, wash, trim, and finely chop the leeks. Peel and dice the carrots. Sauté them briefly in butter in a hot pot. Deglaze with some of the strained broth from the meat and sprinkle in the lentils. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more broth if needed. The liquid should almost be absorbed by the end. Season with salt and pepper.

6. 6.

   Peel the pears, quarter them, remove the core, and cut the quarters into slices. Sauté in a hot, greased pan with butter for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with wine, add honey, and season with a touch of pepper.

7. 7.

   Arrange the ham on top of the lentil vegetable with the pear slices and sprinkle with chives before serving.