LOIN OF PORK on a bed of BUBBLE & SQUEAK with APPLE & PLUM SAUCES

Not only for taste and texture, this is a dish that looks brilliant on the plate! It’s a favourite of mine for a dinner party. The marinade has a slightly oriental flavouring but you can always adjust this to suit your own preference.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 4

Loin of Pork (x 4 boned and cut, 1.5 cm thick rashers )

Bash out a good size piece for each serving so that it’s about 1 cms thick and 18cms long.
As well as tenderising the meat it will also help in crispening the edges when it’s cooked

MARINADE

8 tbl spns of soy sauce (salted)
2 tbl spns of vegetable oil
1 lime squeezed (a lemon will be ok).
2 red chili peppers (seeds & white linings removed) cut cross way
in narrow strips
2 tbl spns brown sugar
6 cloves garlic (thinly sliced) –
2 inches of root ginger (peeled & thinly sliced)

Combine the marinade ingredients and mix thoroughly until the sugar has dissolved.

Marinade the meat for a couple of hour or so.

BUBBLE & SQUEAK

500g mashed potatoes
1/4 of a savoy cabbage chopped
1 onion sliced
salt and pepper
25g butter
oil for frying
(for added colour, taste and texture a good handful of peas can also be included)

Fry the onion in a little oil until clear
Boil the cabbage for 20 mins. Drain and cool
Boil the potatoes until just soft enough to mash – work in the butter, ensuring that the mix is still fairly firm
Mix the cabbage / mash / onions and season to taste.

Next, form the mixture into cakes about an inch thick, 8cms wide and about 18cms long.

These will need to be fried for about ten minutes each side in a little oil – making sure that they don’t break up!
A little crispy browning on the surface is ideal. You will need to time the cooking so that it’s ready to serve with the meat.

BRAMLEY APPLE SAUCE

450g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped.
25g butter
A little soft brown sugar to taste.
Cloudy apple juice

Place apples / butter in a saucepan. Add 2 tbsp of water / 1 tbls apple juice.
Cook gently (about 10 mins) until soft enough to purée. For this I think a blender is essential to get the desired smooth consistence for the dish.. Ideally the consistency needs to be that of thin yoghurt. To achieve the right level, more apple juice can be added a little at a time.

NB. The apple sauce can be prepared in advance and reheated a minute or two before serving.

RED PLUM SAUCE

350g red desert plums. Halved / stones removed.
150 ml water
Zest and juice of one orange
50g caster sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbls sherry

Place plums / water in a saucepan. Boil gently, cover / simmer / stir until soft. Allow to cool then blend until smooth.
Now mix in the rest of the ingredients. Matching the same consistency of the apple sauce is important to the success of the dish.

The sauce can then be gently reheated just before serving.

PORK LOIN RASHERS

Cook under a hot grill in the same fashion as bacon, ie for 3 – 4 minutes each side – the idea being to keep the meat tender but with some crispy bits around the edges.Alternatively the meat can be seared quickly in a frying pan and finished off under the grill.

PLATING THE DISH

Warm the plates in advance.

Lay the bubble & squeak cakes down the centre of the plate (creating a complete dividing wall for the two sauces) and place the pork on the top. Now pour the apple sauce on one side and the plum sauce on the other... ensuring that there are not drips on the edges of thee plate!

And there you have it!

This recipe is brought to you by Paul Astridge of Astridges Hog Roasts. We are experts in roasting pig and lamb. We cater for events such as gigs, parties and weddings. Give us a call on 01392 490459 to see what we can do for you!