IN SEASON
Up to a day ahead:
1 Dry the cheeks thoroughly, then toss them in the fl our along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the cheeks all over in batches. Remove to a large ovenproof pan.
2 Add a little more oil to the frying pan if necessary, and over a medium heat soften the onion, celery and garlic, stirring regularly. Add to the cheeks. Deglaze the frying pan with a slosh of red wine and stir to dislodge any bits of caramelized pig, then add this all to the ovenproof pan, along with the rest of the wine, tomato purée and water.
3 Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for 2 hours, or in the oven at 160C/325F/Gas 3.
4 Chill overnight or keep warm until dinner.
BRAISED PIG CHEEK WITH POLENTA AND GREMOLATA
Budget-friendly, impressive and easy to do ahead. This great James Ramsden recipe is sure to wow your guests.
Serves 6
❤ 325g salt (optional) ❤ 12–15 pig cheeks, about 1.2kg total weight
❤ 2 tbsp plain fl our ❤ Salt and pepper ❤ Olive oil ❤ 1 onion, peeled and fi nely chopped ❤ 1 stick of celery, fi nely chopped ❤ 2 garlic cloves, peeled and fi nely sliced ❤ Half bottle of red wine ❤ 2 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste) ❤ 300ml water
For the polenta ❤ 1.2 litres water ❤ 300g polenta ❤ 50g butter
For the gremolata ❤ A good handful of fl at-leaf parsley ❤ Zest of 1 lemon ❤ 1 garlic clove, peeled and very fi nely chopped
Up to 2 days ahead (optional):
Mix the salt with 4 litres water, stir until dis- solved, then brine the pig cheeks in this so- lution for 24 hours. Soak in fresh water for 1 hour, changing the water every 15 minutes, then pat dry. This ensures the meat is well seasoned throughout and good and juicy.
22 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
5 To make the gremolata, fi nely chop the parsley and mix with the lemon zest and garlic.
1 hour before dinner: 1 Gently reheat the braised pig cheeks over a
low heat if necessary, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning.
2 For the polenta, bring the water to a boil with a good pinch of salt and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Wear your sleeves pulled down – this stuff spits.
3 Turn the heat right down and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the polenta looks too dry, just add a splash of hot water. Beat in the butter and a twist of pepper.
Dinnertime: Taste the polenta for seasoning and add a pinch more salt if
necessary. Serve with the pig cheeks and a sprinkling of gremolata.
Tomorrow: Shred leftover pig cheek and serve as a pig cheek ragù with pasta.
Do-Ahead Dinners by James Ramsden, publisher: Pavilion, photograph: Yuki Sugiura
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