FEATURE RECIPE
Pork and bean jaffles with pickled jalapeños and spiced scratchings

Pork and bean jaffles with pickled jalapeños and spiced scratchings

If you don’t have a jaffle-maker you can carefully toast these sandwiches in a sandwich press or char-grill pan. You’ll need to begin this recipe two days ahead.

Serves 8

Cooking Time Prep time 1 hr, cook 4 hrs (plus soaking, cooling, pickling, drying)



50 ml   olive oil
1   onion, finely chopped
3   garlic cloves, finely chopped
400 gm   canned crushed tomatoes
200 gm   dried white beans, soaked overnight in cold water, drained
1   smoked ham bone
1   fresh pork hock (about 1kg)
2   chipotle chillies in adobo (see note)
16   thick slices square white bread
80 gm   softened butter
350 gm   coarsely grated cheddar
Pickled jalapeños
650 ml   white wine vinegar
60 gm   caster sugar
1 tbsp   sea salt flakes
1 tsp   coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
1 tsp   black peppercorns
1   garlic clove, bruised
500 gm   (about 12) green or red jalapeños
Spiced scratchings
250 gm   piece pork skin, fat removed
4 tbsp   sea salt flakes
For deep-frying:   vegetable oil
1 tsp   fennel seeds
1 tsp   coriander seeds
Finely   grated rind of ½ lemon


1 For pickled jalapeños, bring vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander, peppercorns, garlic and 650ml water to the simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar and set aside to cool to room temperature. Place jalapeños in a sterilised container, add pickling liquid, refrigerate to pickle (2 days). Pickled jalapeños with keep refrigerated for 2 months.
2 Preheat oven to 160C. Heat oil in a large casserole over medium heat, add onion and garlic, stir until tender (8-10 minutes). Add tomato, beans, ham bone, pork hock, chillies and 300ml water, cover and braise in oven until meat is very tender (2-3 hours). Remove pork hock and simmer beans over medium heat until thick and reduced (20 minutes). Meanwhile, shred pork (discard sinew and bone). Remove ham bone from beans (discard) and set beans aside to cool, then stir in pork, season to taste and refrigerate until required.
3 For spiced scratchings, scatter pork skin with half the sea salt flakes, place on a wire rack over an oven tray and refrigerate to dry out (2 hours). Reduce oven to 120C. Pat skin dry with absorbent paper and dry in oven until slightly crisp (10-15 minutes). Pat dry with absorbent paper and set aside. Heat oil in a deep-sided frying pan or deep-fryer to 180C. Meanwhile, combine remaining salt and remaining ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Cut pork skin into 2cm x 6cm pieces and deep-fry in batches until golden and puffed (2-3 minutes; be careful as hot oil will spit). Drain well on absorbent paper and scatter with spiced salt.
4 Preheat a jaffle-maker. Butter bread and place butter-side down on a work surface. Top half the slices with bean mixture, scatter with cheese, top with remaining bread and cook in batches until golden and warmed through (4-5 minutes). Serve warm with pickled jalapeños and spiced scratchings.

Note Chipotle chillies in adobo are available in cans from select delicatessens and Monterey Mexican Foods.

This recipe is from the August 2012 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Drink Suggestion Bottle of ice-cold lager.

RECIPE Emma Knowles & Alice Storey PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Dearnley STYLING Lucy Weight, Emma Knowles & Alice Storey DRINK SUGGESTION Max Allen


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