Pork

PORK & POMEGRANATE – A CHRISTMAS IN JULY FEAST

It’s that time of year again my friends, Christmas in July.

It all began when I got it in my mind that I’d like to make a Pomegranate Glazed Ham.  It seemed a relatively easy thing to do, but it wasn’t until I’d been to my local butcher a few days prior to the family dinner that I learned a rolled ham nugget was indeed a specialty item that one needed to order the week before. 

I decided I’d take a stroll through the farmers markets for some inspiration (bleh, waking at 630am on a weekend is NOT okay, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do), ham might be a traditional christmas fare right, but I got to thinking about substituting the cured meat for a roast instead, sounded right in my head as I ran through the flavours.  So, off I went in search amongst the rows of bounty.  

And there it was before me in the Mountain Creek Farm stash – a perfect free range, organic, happy and healthy piece of pork just begging me to take it home. A scrumptious deboned leg of pork that weighed 1.5 kilograms, I decided was mine. Continue Reading

PAELLA

It’s been forever since I’ve cooked this dish & now that I’m the proud owner of my very own Paella Pan, I couldn’t wait to get stuck into it.

 

PAELLA

1 ripe Tomato

125ml (1/2 cup white wine)

1 red/spanish Onion

12 Black Mussels, bearded & scrubbed

125ml (1/2 cup Olive Oil)

1 slice of Bacon, finely chopped

4 Cloves of Garlic, crushed

1 red Capsicum, finely chopped

90g Chorizo, thinely sliced

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

220g Paella or Medium grain Rice

1/4 teaspoon Saffron threads

500ml Chicken Stock, heated

85g freah or frozen peas, I used frozen

12 raw Prawns, peeled & deveined

1 large Chicken breast, skin off, cut into cubes

2 Squid tubes, cleaned and cut into rings

115g skinless firm white fish fillets, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf Parsley

With a dish like this, Mise en Plus is the key to success, I got a little bit cocky & didn’t double check & forgot the chicken, so I think I’m reminding you all about Mise en Plus when in fact it was me being the silly sausage!   Anyhow…., back to the point Anna!  The ingredients need to be sautéed off evenly cos once you get this little baby rolling, there is no time to stop and prep more ingredients. Continue Reading