Thursday 13 October 2011

Technicolor Dream-Food

Polpetta di Maiale con Carote Speziate e Fagioli alla Menta e Salsa al Curry
Savory Gound Pork Patty with Grated Carrot, Parsnip and Ginger and Mint Beans on a mild Curry Sauce


It was time to eat as little meat again tonight, but I wanted to do something a little different... as usual! So I did my usual thing of checking out which ingredients needed to be used up in my fridge- and before I knew it, I was cooking up this great little meal!

What might look and sound a little complicated, was in fact, very, very easy to make and took no longer than 45 minutes in all. Let's start off with the ground pork, which is formed into a simple oblong patty. The ingredients are pork, diced shallot, finely chopped sage, fennel seed, cumin seed, a hint of cinnamon, a hint of nutmeg, salt, pepper and a hint of chili or cayenne. Mix well by hand until the meat holds together nicely by itself. Once you have formed the patty's, spread the top with a sweet mustard or a mix of honey and mustard and then decorate with apple slices as you can see in the photos. Now fry in a dry Teflon pan for 5-6 minutes until the bottom side is nicely cooked and then transfer the pan to your oven and finish cooking under your broiler until they are nicely brown.

Next step was the yummy grated carrot/parsnip/ginger side dish- so simple but so delicious! I grated the carrots on the course side of the grater and the parsnip and ginger on the fine side. I then sautéed them together for 3-4 minutes in a little clarified butter, added a cupful of milk, stirred well and allowed to cook down till all the liquid has evaporated. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and popped it into the oven to stay warm along with the "meatball".


Ok- 2 things down- 2 to go! Next on our list are the beans, which I simply blanched in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes and then tossed in a little sesame oil with some finely chopped garlic, a little sugar, and some finely chopped mint leaves for a further 2-3 minutes to give them a light glaze. That was easy now, wasn't it?

Last but not least- that light curry sauce, which was also just as simple as can be! Fry a little chopped garlic and onion in a little clarified butter and after 2-3 minutes, add a half of a banana which has also been finely chopped. Season with turmeric and Madras curry powder and add hot milk to the mix to turn all of those tasty ingredients into a sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 4-5 minutes... and in the meantime, you can start serving up the other elements of of your meal.



The grated carrot can be served up using and ice cream scoop, or you can press it into a small glass and turn it out onto your serving dish. Sprinkle the carrot with a little freshly-chopped parsley and sprinkle the rest of the meal with a few toasted fennel seeds- delicious! But very, very easy at the same time!

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