PORK WITH ALMONDS AND MILK

This weekend dinner was a special one. It is a recipe from one of the cookbooks that my grandmother and my mother used for special occasions. When it was first published in early 1900's, it was a very 'advanced' cookbook for the era, and it has recipes not only from Catalonia, but from other European countries as well. The writer used a pen-name, but it is now known that it was written by two sisters whose father was a well-known Catalan journalist. Most of the recipes from this book, have very delicious subtle flavours that they increase in your palate as you keep eating the food. That was the case tonight. I made Pork with almonds braised with milk, and on the side, mashed potatoes with truffle and Brussel sprouts. The milk sauce looks curdled but that is the way it should be. There is a bit of work to prepare this dish, but is what it takes to have a nice and delicious meal. Bon Appetit! 🥰😋😊

Ingredients

600 gr pork loin

100g toasted almonds

400g potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces

60 gr of butter

1/2 litre milk

1 egg yolk

1 truffle, grated

flour to coat

2 cloves of garlic, mashed

1/4 cup brandy

lard

oil

salt and pepper

500g of Brussels sprouts

Method

Preheat the oven to 150C.

Mash the toasted almonds in a mortar, or if you prefer, put them in a food processor and grind them until they are like a paste.

Make cuts on the pork, but without finishing sectioning, so that they are like the pages of a book. Season with salt and pepper.

Put the almond paste with a spoon between the sheets, making sure that each cut is well covered on both sides.

Then, tie the pork with a string, and place it in a pan with the lard and brown.

When it is very golden, add the brandy and let it reduce a little.

Place it in an ovenproof platter and cover with the milk.

Braise for 1h 15m, pouring some milk over the pork from time to time. At the end of the cooking, check if the milk has thickened. Use some of the almonds left over and mix well with the garlic, salt and pepper and add a little milk. Pour over the sauce and put back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes with a little salt for about 20 - 25 minutes. Drain and put them back into the pot. Mash and add the egg yolk, the butter, a little salt and pepper and the grated truffle.

Leave to cool a little and then reshape the potatoes making sure they are all the same size.

Coat with some flour and fry in oil in a pan.

While the potatoes are cooling, boil water in a pot with a bit of sauce and add the previously prepared Brussels sprouts. Let them cook for about 5 minutes and drain. Put butter in a pan and fry the sprouts until they are a little golden.

The pork is served with some of the sauce and with potatoes and sprouds on the side.

Serves 4

Comments

TOMATO CARPACCIO WITH SPRING ONION & GINGER SALSA

There is only one trick to this salad: the tomatoes must be ripe! The rest is easy and it is so delicious, you will want to make it many times. It would be a fantastic side dish to accompany any recipe. It is exceptionally good. INGREDIENTS 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 3 spring onions, very finely sliced 40ml sunflower or olive oil 2 tsp good quality sherry vinegar 400g (beef) tomatoes (2-3 depending on size) sliced 2mm thick 1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 Tbsp finely shredded coriander 1 Tbsp olive oil flaked sea salt METHOD: Put the ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of flaked salt into a pestle and mortar and crush to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl with the spring onions and stir to combine. Put the oil into a small pan and place on a low heat until just warm: you don't want it to heat too much. Pour over the spring onions and add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Stir together and set aside. Chop the chili and shred the

SLOW-BAKED LAMB SHOULDER

This is a lamb recipe that is so delicious you are going to make it more than once. A favourite of friends and family. I like to accompany with a couscous salad with feta and almonds and a yoghurt and bean dip . Recipes in this blog. INGREDIENTS 1.8 - 2.2 kg lamb shoulder, with or without the bone 2 tsp sea salt flakes 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 6 sprigs rosemary, stripped and leaves chopped 1 Tbsp black peppercorns 100ml extra virgin olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon 3 Tbsp dried oregano 100ml white wine vinegar METHOD: Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan-forced). Trim extra fat from lamb. If you using a shoulder with the bone, make small incisions on the skin. Grind the salt, garlic, rosemary and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or small food processor. Add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and dried oregano. If using a boned shoulder, open out the lamb. Massage the marinade into the lamb. Make sure it goes into the small incisions. Place t

TOFU MEATBALL KORMA

Tonight's meal is the Ottolenghi's Korma Feast. Gosh it was delicious 😋 ! I have been super tired with work and haven't felt much like cooking. We have not been eating very well in the last couple of weeks.... But tonight we really had a great meal even though I had to spend hours in the kitchen 🙄 . But it was worth it 😁 . Tofu meatball korma & Spicy berbere ratatouille with Olive oil flatbreads . All made from scratch. Just superb! The tofu meatballs are just amazing. I have leftover tofu and will make a batch and freeze them for another day. I can eat them just with no sauce or any other sauce. They would be lovely with some tomato base sauce or any curry sauce. But even with a side vegetable dish or salad. My husband thought that they were made with mince meat!! Yum yum! Ingredients ½ red onion, thinly sliced (60g) 2 tbsp lemon juice 40g cashews 20g blanched almonds 6 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds removed 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp coriander seeds

THE BEST ONION GRATIN

I love this recipe. I have to stop myself for not eating more than I need. It goes really well as part of a baked dinner. When you try it, you'd want to make it again and again. 😍😋💚 Ingredients 4 medium red onions, peeled and quartered olive oil sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced a small wineglass of white wine 4 Tbsp crème fraîche 50g gruyère cheese, grated 50g parmesan cheese, grated Preparation Preheat the oven to 200°C. Break the onion quarters apart to give you little 'petals'. Place these in an earthenware oven dish. Drizzle with a couple of glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss in your thyme and garlic. Mix up well, add your white wine. Cover with a double layer of tinfoil, wrap tightly and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven, take the tinfoil off and pop the dish back in the ove

ROAST CABBAGE WITH PECORINO

This is the first time I cooked this recipe and it is amazing!! We had leftovers and served warmed the following day for lunch with family members and they all wanted the recipe. It is just a very different way to eat cabbage and it is scrumptious. From Ottolenghi's cookbook 'Simple'. INGREDIENTS 120ml olive oil 2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cabbage (sweetheart, pointed cabbage or other), cut lengthways into eighths a small handful of parsley or tarragon leaves, roughly chopped 30g of pecorino or parmesan cheese, shaved salt and black pepper METHOD: Preheat oven to 220°C. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Set aside 2 Tbsp. Arrange the cabbage on a parchment-lined tray and brush with the oil mixture. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden-brown. Transfer the c

HOMECOOKING WITH TERESA

Search This Blog