Tropical Pork and Shrimp, Banana Parsnip Fufu, Kumquat Salsa, Spinach and Sorrel Mousse

Tropical Pork and Shrimp

800 grams pork haunch
10 shrimps
12 young carrots, washed
4 young parsley roots, washed
1 small cabbage, rough cut
coconut milk
lime juice
¼ cup medium sherry
three large sweet onions, diced rough
five garlic cloves
three flakes of cinnamon
50 corns Kumasi pepper (cubab)
teaspoon cumin seeds
2 Kumasi cloves
2 cups water
tablespoon salt
five kumquats
one pasillo chili, deseeded
four hot anchos, deseeded
two poblanos, deseeded
thumb of grated ginger
grind of nutmeg
palm oil (optional)
fresh turmeric (optional)
lemon grass or keffir lime (optional)

This dish works with flavors of Oaxaca, Ghana, and Portugal so locating it more precisely than as a derivative of several tropical cuisines is beyond the ken of the chef. Nonetheless, once made along with the rest of the menu, you’ll see the point as spring commences.

Dice the pork, remove any excess fat, set aside. Peel and dice the onions roughly. In a large, good-quality pan, preferably with a lid, sauté the onion on medium heat, add cooking oil as needed or some of the excess pork fat. Mortar the pepper corns, cumin seeds, cloves, and some salt, add to the onion once browning, then a few flakes of cinnamon (a hint, not dominanut), careful not to scorch, splashes of medium sherry as necessary, add garlic cloves, then your pork, turning up the heat, browning and braising, all of the deseeded chilis broken roughly, splash of sherry, washed spring carrots, parsley root, grind of nutmeg, water, bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for at least two hours, adding the cabbage in the last hour, and towards the very end flavoring with quarter cup of coconut milk and juice of half a lime, salting to taste.

The question of when to add the shrimps depends on your plans. You can decide to add your shrimps now for immediate eating if the pork is nice and soft, or if you plan a quick heat up later (otherwise they’ll be overcooked and tough) for your lunch guests.

Or once cooled, store the stew for a few days to gain flavor, then add your shrimp when you complete the stew with the rest of the lunch menu.


Banana Parsnip Fufu

¾ kilo parsnips, peeled, diced rough
¼ kilo yellow potato, peeled, diced rough
1 banana
three knobs butter
salt

In a medium pot with a rolling boil of salted water, plunge in the parsnips and potato, boiling properly until just done (breaking apart with a stab of a fork, about 12-15 minutes), breaking in the banana a few minutes before this point. Mash and whip, adding butter and salt to taste.

This turned out far better than I expected and really complimented the pork as well as the “coco yam leaf” mousse. 


Kumquat Salsa

Deseeded, julienned kumquats (20 or so), fine cut bunch of spring onion, two handfuls of julienned sorrel, fine cut endive, dash of salt, dash of brown sugar, finger of grated ginger, mint if available, fresh or dry haberno/piri piri (optional), juice of half a lime, splash of olive oil.


Spinach and Sorrel Mousse

Half kilo mixed spring spinach and sorrel, washed, blanched, cooled, drained and then diced roughly with the knife, two fine diced garlic cloves, shake of olive oil, grind of salt, whipped well with the fork. It makes an approximation of “coco yam leaf” to go with your fufu.


Served with Soproni Demon in place of Guinness Export Stout. Tramini or Kadarka would also work.

Serves four.