Chef's Recipes

Fried pig’s ears with salsa verde

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

By Colin Fassnidge
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 2 hrs 15 mins cooking plus cooling, chilling
  • Serves 10 - 12
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Fried pig’s ears with salsa verde

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.

Notes

Drink Suggestion: Stone & Wood Pacific Ale. Drink suggestion by Oliver Tucker