This recipe uses nearly all of our Seasonal Peak Box with Natoora. A hearty stew for winter that is full of freshness and acidity with plenty of vegetables to balance the beautiful fatty pork belly and melty pork shoulder from Hagen’s. This recipe can be made a day in advance, and can actually be better that way! You can add or swap out ingredients following the same method to make use of things that might be hanging around in the fridge, in addition to what you receive in your box.
600g pork shoulder, skin off, cut into 4cm pieces.
2 Pink Lady apples, peeled then grated or diced according to preference
Tablespoon mustard
4 sprigs Lemon Thymes
250 ml stock (chicken, beef or veg)
200ml apple cider vinegar (the better quality the vinegar the nicer the stew will taste! I used the Harcourt Apples one which has such a nice apple flavour)
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
½ Elphin Grove Celeriac peeled and diced
1 bunch chervil
Common Ground Project Purple Mustard greens, washed and chopped
100ml cream
Method
Heat 1 tbsp of preferred cooking oil in a heavy base casserole pot, big enough to fit all your stew ingredients.
Start browning off the pork belly pieces in batches until they have a nice colour. Setting the browned bits on a plate to make room for next batch.
Then brown the shoulder pieces. There should be enough fat from the belly to keep the meat from sticking but use your judgement and add more oil if needed.
Add your shallot and onion to the pan and cook until translucent
Add the pork back into the pot. At this stage you could add a slosh of white wine or brandy, but if you don’t have this hanging around, it is not necessary. If added, cook for one min.
Now add grated apple, mustard, thyme, stock, cider, fennel seeds and salt. Give it all a stir and put the lid on the pot allowing the stew to simmer on a low heat for 45 mins.
At 45 mins take of the lid and check there is still enough liquid to keep cooking. Add some water if not.
Add the celeriac and put the lid on for another 15-20 mins.
Now the stew should be ready. The pork shoulder should be starting to fall apart and then pork belly should be nice and soft. If it’s not, keep cooking on a low heat. There’s really no harm it cooking longer.
Once the stew is cooked, add the mustard greens and stir through for a minute
Take off the heat and add the cream, chervil and some salt and pepper to taste.
Your stew is now ready to eat! This recipe is even better made the day ahead but is great to be eaten as soon as it’s ready with a fresh winter salad, like the one below!
Salad:
1 Purple Daikon
1 head Felds Farm Radicchio
1 Wildwood Organics Baby Fennel
2 lemons
100ml Olive oil
1 tsp Mustard
1 tsp Honey or sugar
Prep the fennel and daikon by finely slicing them. Keep the fennel fronds for garnish.
Pick and wash the radicchio leaves and mix with the daikon and fennel
Make a simple dressing by mixing the juice of the lemons with the oil, mustard, honey or sugar and a good crack of black pepper and sea salt. I use a jar and shake to emulsify.
