Pig’s cheeks, turnip purée, pickled cherries
3 HOURS 30 MINUTES + CHILLING | SERVES 4 | EASY Butchers will stock or order pig’s cheeks. Ask them to remove all the sinew, too, if you’d prefer to skip that job.
olive oil
pig’s cheeks 8, sinew removed onion 1, roughly chopped
bay leaves 2
celery 1 stick, roughly chopped white wine 125ml
apple juice 200ml
chicken stock 200ml
turnips 3 medium (about 700g), peeled and roughly chopped
whole milk 250ml
green beans 200g smoked streaky bacon 4 rashers PICKLED CHERRIES red wine vinegar 4 tbsp caster sugar 2 tbsp cherries 150g, halved and destoned
• For the pickled cherries, put the vinegar, sugar and 100ml of water into a pan and bring to the boil. Put the cherries into a bowl, then pour over the liquid. Cover and leave for at least an hour but preferably overnight.
• Heat a splash of olive oil in a large casserole and brown the cheeks, in batches, until golden brown, then remove to a plate. Tip in the onion, bay, celery and wine, and bubble for a few minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the cheeks back to the pan along with the apple juice and chicken stock, bring to the boil then turn down and simmer, covered, for 3 hours or until very tender.
• Remove the cheeks and keep covered with foil on a plate. Pour the sauce through a fine sieve into a pan and reduce until thick and sticky, then add the cheeks back in. Reheat to serve.
• Put the turnips into a pan and pour over the milk. Bring to boil then simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until very soft. Purée in a food processor with some seasoning, then tip back into a pan and reheat to serve.
• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Blanch the beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then refresh in iced water. When cool, divide into 4 piles. Wrap each bundle in the streaky bacon rashers and put onto a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.
• To serve, spoon turnip purée onto the middle of each plate, then add the baconwrapped beans and pig’s cheeks with plenty of sauce. Finish by scattering the pickled cherries on top.
PER SERVING 543 KCALS | FAT 22G SATURATES 8G | CARBS 28.1G | SUGARS 25.6G FIBRE 6.5G | PROTEIN 49.8G | SALT 2.4G