“Pig cheeks, some braised fennel, broad beans, kefir with the garden herbs. The fermentation stuff is something we had quite a lot of fun playing around with – it’s quite a tangy one.”
– Ryan Chetiyawardana, author & bar owner, London
Note:
The Bowmore 12 can be replaced with any moderately peaty Scotch; the cocktail ingredients are similarly flexible, provided the base notes are retained.
INGREDIENTS
Pork:
Four pig cheeks
200ml sweet vermouth
200ml vegetable stock
50ml Bowmore 12 whiskey (or other moderately peaty Scotch)
A splash of absinthe
A sprig of thyme
A swathe of lemon peel
Two cloves of garlic
1tsp each of sugar, salt and pepper
0.5g sweet paprika
Fennel:
2 fennel bulbs, finely sliced
25g golden caster sugar
5g fennel seeds
Sea salt
100g butter
50ml dry vermouth
A splash of cider vinegar
Sherry:
60ml Amontillado
1tbsp apricot brandy
6oml Fever Tree tonic water
To serve:
Broad beans
Kefir
Sea salt
Black pepper
Herbs (Ryan used thyme, chives and oregano), finely-chopped
METHOD
Combine all the ingredients for the pork in a ziploc bag, squeeze out the air and seal. Place in a water bath in an oven preheated to 80C and cook for 6-8 hours. This can be done ahead of time to avoid temperature conflict with the fennel.
For the fennel, preheat oven to 170c. Toss the finely-sliced bulbs with the sugar, fennel seeds and salt. Melt the butter in a roasting dish, swirling to coat. Add the fennel and braise in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, add the vermouth and cider vinegar, turn the dish, and braise for another 30 minutes.
To serve, blanch the broad beans in boiling water, then refresh in ice water. Peel outer skin. Season the kefir with salt and pepper, add the herbs and mix well. Sear off the pork cheeks in a smoking hot frying pan, just to colour the outside. Mound the braised fennel onto a plate. Perch seared pig cheek on the top, scatter broad beans and dress with herb kefir. Serve with warmed tomato bread.
For the cocktail, add the sherry and brandy to a wine glass, briefly stirring them together. Top with the tonic water. Clink clink.
