Crispy Sage Anchovy Pork With Cider Mashed Acorn Squash Food

ANCHOVY AND SAGE CRISPS

Steps:

• Wipe the sage leaves and pat them dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
• Take three deep plates or shallow dishes and pour the beaten egg into one, the flour into another and the breadcrumbs or polenta into the third.
• Lay 20 of the sage leaves out flat and place half an anchovy down the centre of each one. Place the remaining 20 sage leaves over the anchovies and press down to sandwich together.
• Individually coat each sage and anchovy sandwich in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs or polenta.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unatttended.) Cook the sage crisps in batches until golden-brown and crisp. Drain on absorbent kitchen.
• Serve while still warm.

CRISPY SAGE-ANCHOVY PORK WITH CIDER MASHED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• For the Pork: In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry sage leaves for 60 to 90 seconds per side until crisp. Transfer to a cutting board and finely crushed with a knife. Mix in minced anchovy and lemon zest and set aside.
• Pat pork chops dry. Rub sage and truffle salt evenly on both sides of chops. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork on each side for 5-6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes on cutting board before serving atop acorn squash mash and topped with crumbled fried sage and anchovy mixture.
• For the Acorn Squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice acorn squash in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down on baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes depending on size of squash until golden and tender.
• Let cool for several minutes before measuring out 2½ cups of the flesh and pureeing with the vinegar and cream in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season with sea salt to taste.

SWEET AND YUMMY MASHED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place acorn squash, cut-side down, on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip squash and sprinkle cinnamon into the center and dot with butter. Continue baking until flesh can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes more.
• Scoop flesh into a bowl and mix in brown sugar until evenly combined.

SLOW-COOKED PORK, CIDER & SAGE HOTPOT

Steps:

• Heat half of the oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan, or flameproof casserole dish, and fry the pork pieces over a medium high heat in batches until seared all over, then transfer to a plate. Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan, if you need to, while you're cooking the batches. Once all the pork is seared, transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan with a little butter and fry half the leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until tender. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then stir in the flour.
• Pour in the cider, a little at a time, stirring to pick up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and to combine everything. Add the stock, bay leaves and seared pork, then simmer, half-covered with a lid for 1-1½ hrs until the meat is just tender (it will later cook to the point of falling apart in the oven). Can be prepared a day ahead.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the sauce, if you need to - it shouldn't be too liquid or the potatoes will sink into the sauce. Stir in the parsley, chopped sage, remaining leeks, and the cream, then season well.
• Peel both types of potatoes and cut into slices 2mm thick, by hand or using a mandoline. Alternate layers of potato and sweet potato in circles over the pie, or randomly, if you prefer. Dot the cubed butter over the top and bake for 1-1½ hrs until the potato is tender. Nestle in the whole sage leaves, brushed in a little oil, for the last 10 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving.