Pork & Cider Hotpot

By jonoandjules on 25 November 2024

There is a bit of effort in this, but you can prep the pork well in advance ready to bake when you need it. Lovely autumnal flavours.

Wine suggestion: Thanks to the generosity of our friend David we found that Chateauneuf du Pape is a great match for this dish, but we couldn't agree whether we preferred Bosquet les Papes "Chante le Merle", or the Vieux Télégraphe le Crau. A tough decision, poor us!

Pork & Cider Hotpot - serves 6

4 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra
1kg diced pork shoulder
20g butter, cubed, plus a bit extra
4 leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml dry cider
400ml chicken stock
2 bay leaves
½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
small bunch of sage, leaves picked, 5 left whole and the rest chopped
200ml single cream
800g Maris Piper potatoes

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a deep casserole dish, then fry the pork pieces over a medium-high heat in batches until browned all over, then transfer to a plate.

Add another tbsp of oil to the pan with a little butter and fry half the leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until tender. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then stir in the flour.

Gradually add the cider, stirring to scrape any crusty bits off the bottom. Add the stock, bay leaves and pork, then simmer, partially covered with a lid for 1-1½ hours until the meat is just tender. You can make up to this point a day in advance.

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Simmer the pork uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the sauce if you need, if there is too much liquid the potatoes will sink. Stir in the parsley, chopped sage, remaining leeks, and the cream, then season well. Transfer to a wide ovenproof frying pan or casserole if you have one.

Peel the potatoes and slice into 2mm thick slices - a mandoline is best for this. Arrange the potato slices in circles over the pie, then dot over the cubed butter. Bake for 1-1½ hours or until the potatoes are cooked. Brush the sage leaves with a little oil and tuck them in for the last 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)