Feb 2015 - SMOKY MINCED PORK WITH
AUBERGINE, CORIANDER AND GREEN PEPPERCORNS

4 smallish aubergines cut into 1 cm slices
4 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 chili finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon green pepper corns
500 g minced pork
2 tablespoons palm sugar or muscovado sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
8 tablespoons oyster sauce
100 ml chicken stock or water
4 spring onions – whites finely chopped. Cut into julienne
Fresh coriander leaves
Salt

Put a griddle pan on high heat and when smoking hot say, 5- 10 minutes, arrange the aubergine slices in a single layer.
Reduce the heat to medium.
After a few minutes carefully lift one of the slices and if it is nicely striped turn it over to griddle on the other side.
Repeat with all the slices until nicely browned.

If you do not have a griddle, oil the aubergines lightly and set under a hot grill to brown on both sides.

Transfer the aubergines to a serving plate and keep warm.
Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and add the garlic, chilli and peppercorns, stir fry until fragrant.
Increase the heat; add the minced pork and stir fry for 5 minutes or until browned.

Add the sugar, the fish and oyster sauces and cook for a minute.
Pull off the heat, stir in the spring onions and stir well.
Taste and add salt if necessary.
Arrange the prepared aubergines on the base of a serving dish, spoon the minced pork over the top and scatter the coriander over the top.
Serve with steamed rice.

FISH PASTRIES WITH ROUGH-PUFF PASTRY

Serves 4

Make the pastry ahead of time (overnight if possible but an hour or two will do) and cook and cool the fish in advance too. Then assemble and cook the pastries.

Filling
30g butter
3 tablespoons of plain flour
300 ml full cream milk, heated
200 g salmon or monkfish cut into bite sized cubes
100g plump cooked peeled prawns, drained
100 g brown crab meat
Handful of chopped parsley or coriander or a good pinch of chili flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g ready-made rough puff pastry
Egg wash made with 1 egg and a little water

Utensils
1 baking tray lightly oiled and lined with baking parchment
Pastry brush

Pre-heat the oven to 200 fan assisted C 425 F gas 7.

Melt the butter over low heat, stir in the flour and continue to stir until the roux starts to bubble. Cook for a minute or two then add the warmed milk, stirring all the time, increase the heat to medium. Simmer for 3 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste and the parsley or chilli flakes. Take off the heat.

Add the prepared salmon to the finished sauce and stir, then add the peeled prawns and the crab. Stir carefully to mix in the fish and leave to cool. Now roll the pastry.

Holding the rolling pin at either end and remembering not to put any pressure over the pastry itself, roll the pastry, using light strokes, into one large square measuring approximately 30 cm x 30 cm. Then either cut into 4 equal squares or using a saucer or small plate, cut into 4 circles.

When cold divide the fish mixture into 4 equal quantities, spoon into the centre of the pastry shapes and brush the edges with egg wash or water. Do not be tempted to over fill. For squares: fold the corners up and in over the filling, creating an “envelope” and press the edges together to seal. For circles fold in half, keeping the pastry up over the filling. Then press the edges together to seal. Be careful not to push the pastry down on the filling as this will cause the fish to squish out of the edges. Cut 2 or 3 Vs in the half circles to allow the steam to escape. Brush the pastries with egg wash.

Cook at 200C until the pastry is golden brown, say 20 – 25 minutes and the filling is bubbling. If the pastry browns too quickly turn the heat down to 180.