Thursday, July 19, 2018

On the MENU this Week Smoked Gammon with Spiced Garlic Potatoes.


Lynne found this recipe in her old tried and true recipe box and she hasn’t made it for years. It originates from Jocelyn Dimbleby, who travelled extensively. No clue as to where it comes from, but the rather Moorish or Middle Eastern flavours of this dish speak to North Africa – where they don’t use much pork or bacon! It is surprisingly spicy, we think from the fresh black pepper. It is almost a potjie and certainly doesn’t require much preparation. Marvellous flavours, so we know you will love it. Serve with fresh green vegetables like beans and broccoli or a large mixed salad, perhaps with shaved fennel and orange. We had this with a Paul Cluver 2015 Ferricrete Gewürztraminer which went perfectly with the spice. Beer would also go well
1 kilo of potatoes – 3 T olive oil – 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped – 3 t cumin seeds - 350 g tomatoes, chopped - 4 large Kassler chops or a small joint of gammon about 1.5 kilos without fat or skin – 2 t mace - 1 large onion, roughly chopped - 2 bay leaves – 1 T wine vinegar – freshly ground black pepper
Peel the potatoes, and then cut into 1 cm slices. Put a good drizzle of olive oil in the base of a casserole with a lid and layer in the potatoes. Mix together two thirds of the garlic, 2 t of the cumin seeds, the mace, the chopped onion, the tomato, bay leaves, oil, wine vinegar and several good grindings of black pepper. Put this on top of the potatoes. Mix the remaining garlic with 2 t of cumin seeds and plenty of black pepper and rub this onto the pork, then place it on top of the potato mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and bake for 40 minutes if using chops or until the potatoes are cooked; 1¾ to 2 hours if using a gammon joint. Serve the meat and potato mix together with the juices from the pan (with slices of the gammon if using).
Remember: 1 T is a tablespoon 1 t is a teaspoon

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