ham hock terrine in Worcester
the best ham hock terrine in Worcester
why do I like ham hock terrine?
Quite simple. The variety of flavours and textures. And whether it is the best ham hock terrine in Worcester or not, it is usually an enjoyable dish.
what is ham hock terrine?
Ham hock is a section of the pork leg that is made up of a few things but not a great deal of meat. Not the most expensive cut of meat! The ham hock requires lengthy cooking to break down its constituent parts and make it tender. Terrine, from French cuisine, is generally lower quality meat and fat cooked in a mold to give a brick-like shape.
where is the best ham hock terrine in Worcester?
presentation
This is easier to judge than the taste. The Royal Oak, Broadwas, served the ham hock terrine to one side of a large plate. Not appealing to me. The Tap House was better presented but not the best. Slightly academic as Saffrons Bistro has now closed, but their presentation was good. The Masons Arms came in a close third. Their stylish presentation was marred only by the dominance of the bread.
Sharing first place in this category, however, are The Jockey Inn and The Bank House. They presented so differently, but both were really appealing. The Bank House version was served with pea purée, piccalilli purée and croûtes. The positioning of the purées was stunning and, although a large plate had been used, the spacing made the presentation work well. Served with pickled vegetables, piccalilli and toasted fig loaf, the Jockey Inn also used a large plate and arranged the food in the centre. The plate was particularly stylish. Had the Bank House enhanced their presentation with pickled vegetables, they would have won. However, my decision is a draw.
taste
This is difficult. All of the ham hock terrines were good. Each had its own taste, but differences were slight. And it is difficult to compare when they were eaten weeks apart. What was more significant to the taste of the dish were the accompaniments. Piccalilli was the offering from The Masons Arms, The Jockey Inn, and The Bank House. The Royal Oak, Safrons Bistro, and The Tap House served their ham hock terrine with an onion chutney. I love both piccalilli and onion chutney and all versions were so good. In fact, one area where all the restaurants failed was that none of them served the dish with enough piccalilli or onion chutney.
As I like a dish to have a variety of tastes, I feel that The Bank House could have done better and added a small side salad or such like. However, what they did serve was quality food. And so to the winner – first place in the ‘taste’ category goes to The Jockey Inn. Not so much because of the terrine, but the pickled vegetables really made the dish stand out from the crowd. However, come on chef – only one small piece of bread (actually toasted fig loaf)?
summary
In this ‘best ham hock terrine in Worcester’ blog post there are some major issues. Firstly, I haven’t tried all of the ham hock terrines in Worcester. Secondly, it is so subjective. It is just my opinion and, as we know, opinions are like bottoms – everyone has one. And lastly, for a reliable taste test, all dishes need to be tasted on one occasion, not weeks apart. I will be out and about tasting more ham hock terrines and adding to this page.
So, in summary, don’t take this post too seriously. Next time you see ham hock terrine on the menu, give it a go and see what you think. The taste matters, but perhaps the presentation is more important.
