Can I Make The Wide Noodles With Ham Hock Rather Than Lamb Shank?

Our answer

Nigella's Wide Noodles With Lamb Shank In Aromatic Broth (from COOK, EAT, REPEAT) braises a lamb shank in Asian-inspired spices. The flavourful broth that is produced from cooking the lamb shank is served with the shredded meat, alongside pappardelle noodles and savoy cabbage.

In the UK a ham hock is a cured but uncooked pork knuckle (pork shank). Pork would work with the aromatics in the recipe but if the ham hock is cured, it will be much saltier than a lamb shank. We would avoid using a smoked ham hock as the flavour can be a little overpowering and could dominate the dish too much. If you use a UK unsmoked ham hock then omit the salt in step 1 and taste the broth before using it, to make sure that it is not too salty. If the broth is too salty then you will need to add a little water to dilute it, or add some unsalted chicken or vegetable broth or stock. In the US a ham hock is a pork knuckle or shank but it is not cured. Again, we would avoid using a smoked ham hock as the flavour is too overpowering, but a US ham hock could be used instead of the lamb shank.