Ham And Spring Vegetables - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 lb ham shank
3 None medium onions, halved
12 None carrots
3 1/3 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp apricot jam
1 None bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces
1/8 tbsp butter
1 cup half and half
1-2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 None bunch parsley, chopped, some set aside to garnish

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Place the meat, onions and two of the carrots in a roasting pan and roast for 1 1/2-1 3/4 hours. About halfway through the cooking time, deglaze the pan with 2 1/2 cups of the stock. About 15 mins before the end of the cooking time, brush the roast with jam.
Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in boiling salted water with a pinch of sugar for 15-18 mins. Cut the remaining carrots into pieces. Heat the butter in a saucepan, saute the carrots, then stir in the remaining stock and cook for 8-10 mins.
Remove the roast and its vegetables from the oven and set aside, covered. Pour the pan juices through a sieve into a pan, add the cream and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with a little water and stir into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the meat and serve with the vegetables and sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with potatoes, if liked.