MONTHLY COOK UP

Hey guys! About once a month my good friend Matt Power and I get together for a massive cook up. As time has gone on we have been getting more and more adventurous with both our recipes and ingredients. This time round however was a little bit more tame (we have used pigs ears and tails in the past) as Matt and I combined to create a Sardine Terrine from one of my favourite the “SousVide Cuisine by Joan Roca” which is like the SousVide Bible. Also a Pork Cheek Bourguignon from the “Pork & Sons by Stéphane Reynaud” which is by a lovely french family and their classic pork dish recipes.

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SARDINE TERRINE 

Terrine of Sardine and Piquillo Peppers, Black Olive Caramel and Spring Onion Vinaigrette

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Ok the ingredients were pretty minimal for this dish but very effective. I wont be posting this recipe on Home Cooked Heston because there are so many other great recipes that I would like to post and I really really can’t and won’t post them all. However if you would like the recipe I will be happy to forward it on. Lastly the olive caramel was very nice however it did take quite some time to make and get right so I wont be in a hurry to make this again anytime soon.

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PORK CHEEK BOURGUIGNON

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I will give you this recipe though, this classic dish was so damn tasty and the “Pork and Sons” cook book is full of them. The pork cheeks were very tender as we cooked the Bourguignon longer than the recipe prescribed. Very nice cuts of meat and also very cheap however you will have to do a ring around for them it took me three butchers before I found out where I could get them. The butcher that could get them in the quickest for me were Torre.

INGREDIENTS

– 1.2Kg Pork Cheeks

– 2 Onions

– 2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed

– 100g Smoked Lardons (Bacon)

– 2 Tbsp Plain Flour

– 1L Côtes du Rhône or Shiraz Wine

– 1 Bouquet Garni

– 500ml Water

– 800g Carrots

– 50g Butter, Chilled

– Salt and Pepper

METHOD

First heat the a heavy- based casserole pot (I use Chasseur, they are just as good as le Creuset and way cheaper) add the pork cheeks and cook on a medium heat turning occasionally so that they a brown all over. Next lower the heat and add the onions, lardons and garlic stirring frequently until the onions have softened. Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes. After two minutes, gradually stir in the red. Once all the wine is in add the Bouquet Garni, pour in the water and simmer for one hour.

After the first hour peel the carrots, slice them reasonable thick, on an angle and add them to the casserole. Simmer for a further thirty minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce is sticking to the back of a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Once complete discard the Bouquet Garni and remove the meat and carrots with a slotted spoon making sure you keep them warm. If the sauce is not thick enough bring it to a boil and reduce to your liking. Add the butter and whisk to combine. Return meat and carrots to the sauce and serve immediately.

We then cooked the Molecularly Velvet Mash Potato and served the Bourguignon on top as shown in the photo above. I hope you enjoy as much as we did, I love winter as all the casseroles and ragù come out of the wood work.

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