January 25th, 2013

Roast Pork Croquette with Honey-Roasted Parsnips

We all love a good roast and I am sure I am not the only one who has been stuck for ideas on how to use up leftovers. This recipe is perfect and ideal for using up leftover roast pork and potatoes.

Situated in the heart of Suffolk, we are spoilt for choice, as pork farmers in our county are well known for producing some of the country’s finest pork. We love them all and we can vouch first hand for the top quality and taste. We are also in the heartland where fantastic vegetables are grown and our surrounding landscape seems to be one giant kitchen garden!

These baby parsnips are beauties and their taste is superb at this time of the year. We prefer roasting them quickly with skin and all in a hot oven with a drizzle of honey and a helping of good butter.

For the roast pork croquettes

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 80g onions, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground to a powder using a pestle and mortar
  • 250g leftover cooked roast pork, with a bit of fat (keep the crackling for garnishing the dish)
  • 200g leftover cooked roast potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
  • 100g dried breadcrumbs
  • sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • sunflower oil, for deep-frying (optional)

For the honey-roasted baby parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, chestnut mushrooms and black cabbage

  • 440g baby parsnips, skin on, washed well
  • 350g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 180g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 80g unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon runny honey
  • 120g black cabbage (cavolo nero), shredded in large pieces

First prepare the croquettes. Melt the butter in a medium pan over a medium heat, add the onions, garlic, ground coriander and salt and pepper and sauté for 6–8 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile, rip the leftover roast pork into fine shreds and set the crackling aside for serving.

Take one third of the ripped pork meat, especially the fatty bits, and place it in a food processor with the leftover roast potatoes, then add one third of the cooked onion mixture. Pulse blend to mash the mixture together. Turn it out into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ripped pork meat and cooked onion mixture, mixing well to combine. Leave the mixture to cool, then chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Once chilled, divide and shape the mixture into 4 even-sized log shapes/croquettes

First roll the croquettes in the seasoned flour, then in the beaten egg and lastly roll them in the dried breadcrumbs to coat them all over. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.

Prepare the honey-roasted baby parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes and chestnut mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Put the parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms and thyme in a large roasting tray with the rapeseed oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to mix. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter over the vegetables and then drizzle over the honey. Roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until the parsnips and artichokes are cooked and tender. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Meanwhile, cook the croquettes. You can either deep-fry them or you can bake them in the oven for a healthier option. To deep-fry, heat some sunflower oil in an electric deep-fat fryer or in a deep frying pan to a temperature of 160°C (or until a small piece of bread browns within 20 seconds in the hot oil). Once the oil is hot enough, deep-fry the croquettes for 8–10 minutes or until golden brown and hot all the way through. Remove the croquettes using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Alternatively, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the chilled croquettes on the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until hot all the way through and golden brown.

Keep the croquettes warm whilst cooking the black cabbage. To crisp up the crackling, place the leftover crackling on a lined baking tray in the oven for the last 5 minutes of the cooking time of the croquettes.

Finally, to cook the black cabbage, cook the cabbage in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 3–4 minutes or until tender and cooked but not overcooked. It should be cooked a bit more than al dente, because if it is undercooked, black cabbage can be tough and quite leathery in texture. Drain the cooked cabbage, season with salt and pepper and toss with a drizzle of rapeseed oil.

To serve, divide the honey-roasted vegetables and cooked black cabbage between 4 serving plates. Place one croquette on each plate, divide the crackling between the plates and then serve.

Serves 4 as a main course


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