Spanish Pork, Chorizo & Beans One Pot

At every chance I get I am telling people about pork cheeks. They are becoming slightly more popular and so they should. They are a slow cook, melt in the mouth type of pork and they are still so cheap!! I made sure I bought some with the last shop - they cost less than £2 for four large cheeks - easily a meal for four if served with potato or rice. 

I didn't have a recipe in mind when I bought them.. in fact I didn't right up until I cooked them. It was one of those peer in the cupboard and fridge moments, trying to see what worked well. I had some chorizo my Spanish neighbour brought back for me from Barcelona. And I know I always have a tin of cannellini beans in the cupboard. So we have this: Spanish pork cheeks with chorizo, leeks & beans & a cheeky dash of sherry.

Ingredients:      

4 (280g) pork cheeks, each cut into four
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
120g cooking chorizo, thickly sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
50ml sherry
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 pint chicken stock (cube is fine)
400g cannellini beans, rinsed
salt & pepper
parsley, to garnish

Method:

In a casserole dish, heat the oil and fry the pork pieces until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and put onto a plate. Add the chorizo to the casserole dish and cook until browned. Add to the pork (on the plate).

Then add the onion to the pan, cook until translucent and then add the leek and garlic. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the sherry and continue to cook, scraping off browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the flour, paprika and thyme. Stir in well to cook out the floury taste for a couple of minutes and then add the stock. Add the pork and chorizo to the dish. Stir well, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and leave on a very low heat for about two and a half hours.

When the time is up, add the cannellini beans and season to taste. Turn heat to medium to heat through the beans. Serve with a little parsley and a hunk of crusty bread to mop up the juices. The taste will take you to the mountains in Spain - delicious!

Vietnamese Lettuce Wrapped Chicken

I first had this dish at a Chinese restaurant in Chingford in London about 25 years ago. I continue to order it as it seems to be in most Asian restaurants. The nearest to my home is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant which serves the best lettuce wrapped chicken and we love it.

You can buy bamboo shoots and water chestnuts in a tin these days, from most supermarkets which makes it nice and easy.

You simply serve it on a platter with crispy leaves of lettuce so you can spoon in the crispy noodles and chicken with a teaspoon of hoisin sauce, roll up and eat with your fingers. Delicious!

Ingredients:      (Serves 4)

3 chicken breasts, skin removed and chopped finely
3 tbsp. vegetable oil  plus 200ml for noodles
120g water chestnuts
120g bamboo shoots
120g button mushrooms
1 carrot
6 spring onions (scallions) plus 1 for garnish
small piece fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
100g rice vermicelli noodles1 ice berg lettuce (or little gems) leaves separated

Method:
Combine 2 tbsp. soy sauce and 2 tbsp. cornflour in a bowl. Add the chopped chicken. Stir to combine and leave for 10 minutes.

Combine 2 tbsp. soy with 1 tsp. cornflour and 1/2 cup cold water. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the chopped chicken. Stir fry for 5 minutes and remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Keep to one side 

Chop the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, button mushrooms, carrot, spring onions, garlic and ginger into very small dice. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil and heat. Then add all the vegetables to the wok and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the reserved soy/cornflour mixture. Stir to combine.

In a wide pan or flat bottomed wok, heat the 100 ml of oil, To test if its hot enough, break off a piece of noodle and throw it in the pan. It will sizzle loudly when it is. When the oil is hot, add the noodles in one go (should all fit - depends on whether you are using a wok or pan). They will crisp up in seconds, so be careful. Turn the over to do the other side for a couple of seconds then remove and drain on kitchen paper.

To serve: Put the noodles onto a warmed platter and pile the chicken and vegetables on top. Drizzle with hoisin sauce and maybe some raw shredded spring onions and serve with the iceberg broken down into leaves to act as cups. Serve with hoisin sauce.