A Dish of Elizabethan Pork
Servings Prep. Time Cooking Time Calories % from Fat Fat Sodium Carbohydrates Protein Cholesterol
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A


INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 kg/3 lb leg of pork 1 head celery (or a root of fennel) 2 onions
250g/8 oz fresh or tinned apricots 125g/4 oz stoned raisins 1 lemon
1 orange 2 Cox's orange pippins 125g/4 oz stoned dates
1 tbsp clover honey 30g/1 oz flour 4 tbsps oil
1/2 bottle red wine a large sprig each of fresh marjoram, thyme, sage and rosemary (if dried herbs are used, allow 1 level tsp of each, cutting down rather more on the sage) 3 crushed cloves garlic
1 level tsp powdered mace 1 level tsp black pepper 1 level tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (omit if using fennel root instead of celery) salt segments of 3 or 4 oranges and 125g/4 oz halved walnuts to garnish



1 Trim the pork of bone, rind and any excess fat but leave on a little fat. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes.
2 Heat the oil until it is smoking and fry the pork, a little at a time, until it is golden brown, taking each batch out onto a side plate as it is fried. Fry the sliced onions in the fat remaining in the pan.
3 Return the pork to the pan and sprinkle with the flour, stirring it in well, and then add all the herbs and spices. (If fresh herbs are used, tie them together with lined thread; with dried herbs, tie them in a piece of muslin.)
4 Shred the celery or fennel root as thinly as possible and add this to the pan. Add the split and stoned apricots and dates and the peeled and sliced apples.
5 Grate the rind from the citrus fruits and peel them with a knife, divide them into segments and add to the pan together with the rind. Add the raisins. Transfer the whole to an oven-proof casserole and cover with the red wine. Cook in the oven at 140C/275F/gas mark 2 for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
6 Remove the herbs and serve sprinkled with roughly chopped walnuts and segments of fresh orange.

Back