Potato and smoked bacon soup with basil oil

1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Cook garlic, onion, bay leaf and ham hock until onion is soft. Add potato, celery and stock. Bring to boil, simmer covered for 2 hours or until ham starts to fall away from the bone.

2. Using tongs remove hocks from soup, leave to cool a little. Pull ham from bones, discard bones and skin. Coarsely shred meat.

3. Blend soup until smooth.

4. Return three quarters of the meat to pan with blended soup. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until heated through.

5. Heat a large oiled frying pan over a high heat. Add remaining ham to pan and cook until crispy. Set aside.

6. To make basil oil, process ingredients until smooth.

7. To serve, drizzle basil oil over soup in bowls. Top with crispy ham.