Slow-cooked Pork, Cider & Sage Hotpot (May 2021 – Issue 2)

Source: BBC Good Food

Prep + Cook Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tbsp Olive Oil, plus a little extra 
• 1kg diced Pork Shoulder 
• 20g Butter, cubed, plus a little extra
• 4 Leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced 
• 4 Garlic cloves, crushed 
• 3 tbsp Plain Flour 
• 500ml Dry Cider 
• 400ml Chicken Stock 
• 2 Bay Leaves 
• ½ small bunch Parsley, finely chopped 
• Small bunch Sage, leaves picked, 5 left whole, the rest chopped 
• 200ml Single Cream 
• 400g Maris Piper or King Edward Potatoes
• 400g Sweet Potatoes 

METHOD:

1. 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.
2. Add another 1 tbsp 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.
3. 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 hours 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.
4. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C 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.
5. 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 hours until the potato is tender. Nestle in the whole sage leaves, brushed in a little oil, for the last 10 minutes. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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Make sure your potatoes are sliced so they’re all of a similar size to create an even topping.

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You can make individual hotpots in smaller ovenproof pie dishes and freeze them, uncooked. Baked for the same time, making sure the filling is piping hot and bubbling.

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