Artisan food | EAT SURREY
Vietnamese pork belly
James shared one of his favourite recipes for this delicious Asianinspired pork belly dish. Remove the rind before cooking to allow the marinade to season the pork more intensely. The dish is served with rice cooked in half water, half coconut milk, but feel free to serve with plain boiled rice. Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs and lime juice, they are essential to the dish adding freshness and acidity. PHOTO COPYRIGHT: DAN EDWARDS
Serves two for a filling, fragrant dinner Ingredients 500g Rose Cottage pork belly, rind removed Six tablespoons Hoisin sauce 45ml/three tablespoons clear honey 45ml/three tablespoons rice vinegar 45ml/three tablespoons soy sauce Three centimetre piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated For the salad Half a cucumber, cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler A handful of radishes, washed and thinly sliced Three spring onions, finely sliced
Fresh mint and coriander leaves, roughly chopped Two tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, lightly smashed in a pestle and mortar For the salad dressing One small red chilli, finely chopped One garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped Juice of one lime One and a half teaspoons coconut or light brown sugar One tablespoon rice vinegar Coconut rice Fragrant Thai rice cooked in half water and half coconut milk using the absorption method
Method w Put the meat in a large casserole dish. Mix the Hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, soy and ginger, then pour over the pork and massage well. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least four hours. w Heat oven to 160˚C/140˚C fan/gas 3. Place the pork and its marinade in a snug roasting tin, lined with foil. Pour over 50ml water, cover with foil and roast for two hours, or until tender, basting halfway through. Take the pork out and increase oven temperature to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas 6. Remove the foil and pour the sauce into a small pan. Bring the sauce to the boil and let it bubble until thick and syrupy. Brush some of the sauce all over the pork and pop back in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes until sticky and caramelised in places. Transfer to a chopping board, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Prepare the rice. w To prepare the salad, toss all the ingredients (except nuts) together in a bowl. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients. Reheat the remaining sauce from the pork, adding a splash of water if it has become too thick. Toss the dressing through the salad and divide between two plates, then top with the smashed peanuts. Cut the pork into thick slices and arrange alongside the salad and rice. Drizzle over the remaining sauce and serve.
and wishes to know exactly what sort of life an animal has had too. New to the mix in a couple of months will be the first stock of rare breed goats’ meat. Prized worldwide for its unique flavour, goat is not so common here, but growing in interest in culinary circles. James has selected Boer goats: the herd arrived in late summer and after the PHOTO COPYRIGHT: JO SCOTT billy goat did his job, the kids were born on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. These goats are delightful and very chatty but, more importantly, living a happy life. Bred for their full flavoured, low cholesterol and lean meat, this is an exciting time for this new venture. James and Jo also have rescue chickens for their eggs and a soonto-arrive colony of bees. Their rare breed lamb is not currently for sale to the public, but that may change. It was hard not to admire this venture for starting off with a hard-core local food ethos and finding a way to make it a reality. James explained, “We’ve chosen to keep rare breed stock as they’re slower growing and produce tastier meat. We’re also excited by the heritage of traditional breeds and their place in smallholding history; we’re keen to do our bit to help keep these fantastic breeds going. Farming in this slow and natural way is ethical and responsible and ensures the animals have an enjoyable and stimulating life.” In addition to his farming skills, James is tech savvy with active social media platforms making it easier for this tucked-out-of-the-way business to engage with potential customers. Recognising that the smallholding does not have passing trade, Rose Cottage has signed up to become a supplier at the Guildford and Woking Food Assemblies. James is also a very keen cook – he has taken on the whole River Cottage vibe. Why not try the recipe James and Jo shared for Vietnamese pork? It’s on my to make list for the weekend. essence INFO
Rose Cottage Smallholding Rose Cottage, Hollybush Lane, Ash Vale, Aldershot GU11 2PX Telephone: 07966 000390 Website: www.rose-cottage-smallholding.co.uk Rose Cottage Smallholding PHOTO COPYRIGHT: JAMES MIDDLETON
Shirlee Posner is a food writer and blogger at www.eatsurrey.co.uk and provides social media management, web copywriting and food photography.
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