Name: Fried pig’s ears with salsa verde
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 10 - 12
Ingredients: 12 pigs ears (1.2kg); 300 ml apple juice; 300 ml ginger beer; 150 ml Port; 150 ml red wine; 50 gm ginger, coarsely chopped; ¼ cup sage, coarsely torn (firmly packed); 2 cinnamon quills; 3 star anise; 4 peppercorns; 200 gm plain flour (1 cups); 3 eggs, lightly whisked with 1 tbsp milk; 140 gm soft fine breadcrumbs (2 cups); For deep-frying: vegetable oil; To garnish: flat-leaf parsley sprigs; Salsa verde; 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley (firmly packed); 1/3 cup mint (firmly packed); ¼ cup basil (firmly packed); 1 marinated anchovy fillet; 1 tsp salted baby capers, rinsed; 10 gm Dijon mustard; 25 ml red wine vinegar; 100 ml olive oil

Fried pig’s ears with salsa verde

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for fried pig’s ears with salsa verde by Colin Fassnidge.

Serves 10 - 12

Prep

30M

Cook

2H 15M

Total

2H 45M

Ingredients

12 pigs ears (1.2kg)

300 ml apple juice

300 ml ginger beer

150 ml Port

150 ml red wine

50 gm ginger, coarsely chopped

¼ cup sage, coarsely torn (firmly packed)

2 cinnamon quills

3 star anise

4 peppercorns

200 gm plain flour (1 cups)

3 eggs, lightly whisked with 1 tbsp milk

140 gm soft fine breadcrumbs (2 cups)

For deep-frying: vegetable oil

To garnish: flat-leaf parsley sprigs

Salsa verde

1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley (firmly packed)

1/3 cup mint (firmly packed)

¼ cup basil (firmly packed)

1 marinated anchovy fillet

1 tsp salted baby capers, rinsed

10 gm Dijon mustard

25 ml red wine vinegar

100 ml olive oil

Method

Main

1.For salsa verde, process ingredients in a blender until smooth. Season to taste and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2.Preheat oven to 120C. Combine pig’s ears, apple juice, ginger beer, Port, red wine, ginger, sage, spices and 1.25 litres water in a large casserole, bring to the boil, cover and braise in oven until ears are tender (1½ hours). Cool in stock, then remove and arrange in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until chilled (2 hours).

3.Place flour, egg and crumbs in separate bowls. Halve pig’s ears, then dust all in flour and tap off excess. Dip into egg and then breadcrumbs, firmly pressing on crumbs. Set aside or refrigerate until required.

4.Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 160C. Deep-fry ears in batches until golden brown (1-2 minutes, take care, hot oil will spit). Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with salsa verde.