Cooking Instructions:

1. Place ham hocks, bay leaves, salt, and pepper in a Dutch oven. Add enough water to just cover hocks, cover, and bring to boil. Turn down heat and continue to simmer 3 hours until very tender (This can also be done in a slow cooker 6-8 hours on low).
2. Leave to cool in the liquid. When cool, skim off fat and drain 2 cups of cooking liquid. Remove ham hocks to a cutting board, discarding fat and bones. Shred meat with two forks. Refrigerate both meat and reserved liquid for later.
3. Thaw 1 sheet of puff pastry. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface. Press a 1.5-quart casserole lightly into the pastry and trim about 2 inches larger than the imprint. Transfer pastry to a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Preheat oven to 400 ºF.
5. In a large pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, onions, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes until just-cooked.
6. Add flour to veggie mixture and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Slowly, in several additions, stir in reserved cooking liquid and milk until a smooth sauce is achieved. Cook, stirring until mixture boils and thickens. Add in Dijon, honey, grainy mustard, thyme and ham hock meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 1.5-quart casserole dish.
7. Prepare an egg wash by whisking egg with water. Remove pastry from refrigerator and brush surface lightly with egg wash. Invert pastry and place directly over filled casserole dish, pressing lightly to crimp and seal overhanging edges. Brush top surface lightly with egg wash. Cut six vents in the pastry to allow steam to escape.
8. Place filled casserole on a baking sheet and bake in prepared oven for 35-45 minutes until pastry is golden. (Check after 20 minutes—if too brown, cover lightly with loose foil).