Cocotte of pork with winter vegetables
Serves 6 persons
Ingredients :
1kg Pork belly (brined)
Brine 25% salt brine
6 cloves
3 juniper berries
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
3 sprigs of thyme
Sprig of rosemary
3 sprigs of lemon
3 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic (smashed)
250g salt
300ml brown stock
100g black pudding
300g shallots
400g green cabbage
1kg peeled potatoes
10 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
80ml olive oil
Method :
Put all the ingredients for the brine in a pot together with 1ltr of water & bring to a simmer until all the salt has dissolved.
Leave to cool & pour over the trimmed skinless pork belly.
Leave to marinate for 12 hours. To use place in a bowl of cold water for 1 hour, changing the water every 15 minutes.
Place the pork into a vacuum bag & cook in a water bath for 18 hours at 60C.
Remove from the bath & place in a bowl of ice water to cool.
For the garnish saute the peeled shallots in the olive oil until golden, add the potatoes, herbs & garlic. Season well and place in a hot oven (200C) for 45minutes basting regularly to roast all over.
Steam the green cabbage at the last minute.
For the sauce reduce the brown stock by half and break up the black pudding into it. Blend & keep warm. You can add any of the left over meat juices at the end, being careful not to oversalt the sauce.
To serve, warm up in the same bath, still in the bag for 25 minutes at 60C.
Remove from the bag, trim off excess fat & score the skin side.
Pan fry on all sides for a few minutes to crispen up the fat.
To serve get a large hot platter & arrange the vegetables on the bottom, the thickly sliced pork on top with the sauce poured over.
Enjoy
Winter salad
Serves 6 persons
Ingredients
1/4 cauliflower
25g onion
50ml olive oil
200ml milk
25g butter
1 pear
1 apple
40ml vinegar
50g garden peas or frozen peas
50g fresh podded or frozen broad beans
1 roasted & peeled beetroot (180C for 1hr)
1 lemon
1tspn hot curry powder
45ml balsamic vinegar (or balsamic reduction)
6 radish
salt & pepper to taste
1 bag washed & picked watercress
1 bag washed & picked rocket
Method.
- Sweat the chopped onion a a little of the olive oil. Add the cut up cauliflower & cover with the milk.
- Season with salt & pepper & cover to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Strain off the milk & puree the cauliflower in a strong blender.
- Melt the butter until it goes nut brown.
- Add to the cauliflower, mix and keep warm.
- Peel & cut the pear & apple into cubes and mix into the vinegar (this needs to be done quickly so as they do not go brown)
- Cut the beetroot into small cubes & keep.
- Heat the curry powder gently in the remaining oil & keep.
- To serve, place a streak of the warm cau
- liflwer puree across the plate.
- Gently lay on the watercress, then the rocket.
- Sprinkle with pear, apple, grated rocket, lemon, zest, peas & broad beans.
- Season the salad & drizzle with the curry oil & the balsamic glaze.
Note:
Don't be daunted by the amount of ingredients in this recipe & substitute some if you wish.
Divide the work up with all the fiddly things made long before serving & just assemble everything at the last minute to be crispy & fresh.
Frisee salad with lardons
Serves 4 persons
Ingredients :
200g bacon (cut in cubes)
1 large head frisee salad
4 slices of baquette
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt & paper
80g roquefort (or other blue cheese)
1 shallot (finely sliced)
A splash of great vinegar
Method :
Simmer the bacon 2 minutes, then skin off the fat & cool.
Pat dry the bacon & fry in the pork fat.
Sautee until it is crispy & golden.
Add the baguette (cut into cubes) with the olive oil & saute until golden.
Add the sliced shallot & mix well for a second.
Season & toss all the ingredients in a cold bowl with a little vinegar & serve immediately.
Enjoy !!
Turkey & courgette lasagnha
Serves 6 persons
Ingredients :
2 courgettes
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
500g turkey breast mince
1/2glass white wine
100ml olive oil
1 small tin chopped tomatoes
50g flour
1ltr low fat milk
Salt & pepper to taste
Method :
Saute off the chopped onion & garlic in 50ml of the olive oil until transparent.
Add the grated carrot & cook for 2 minutes.
Add the turkey & stir as it cooks to break it up. Bring to a simmer & keep stirring until all the meat has broken up.
Add the bay leaves, oregano, chopped tomatoes & the wine. Simmer for 1 hour.
For the white sauce Add the flour to the other 50ml of the olive oil in a pot & cook until it gets a sandy texture. Add the milk a little at a time (always stirring).
Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
To assemble take out a lasagnha dish and start with a layer of meat, then finely cut courgette strips. A layer of white sauce, then more courgette. Continue this until the dish is full.
For the last layer top with the last of the white sauce mixed with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Bake in a hot oven at 200C for 30 minutes until bubbling & gratinated.
Serve with a really crispy green salad.
Note
This dish can be even better if you grill the courgettes first which will add a smoky flavour.
Tell the kids the courgette is green pasta.
CJ's Shrimp on the Barbie
Serves 6 persons
Ingredients
24 Large shrimp, head & all
1cm ginger
1 red chilli
1 spoon chopped coriander
150g butter
1 mango
1 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
-
Cut the prawns in half length ways. Season on the flesh side.
-
Melt the butter & blend with the ginger, coriander and chilli.
-
Brush the shrimps lightly with this mixture.
-
Grill flesh side down in batches on the bbq until golden.
-
Remove & place in an oven tray. Bake for 4 minutes at 200C. This will cook through the meat without getting that horrible burnt shell taste through the dish.
-
Take out the prawns & remove half the heads. Blend the heads with the melted butter & the lime juice. Strain well & add in the cubed mango.
-
Serve the prawns with this sauce drizzled over the top. It will go great with Vietnamese slaw or simple baked potatoes.
Enjoy