Pork & Apple Casserole
Pork & Apple Casserole
Prep 20 mins • Cook 1½ hours • Serves 4 to 6
• 2 tbsps olive oil • 1 kg diced pork (see tip) • ¼ cup seasoned plain flour • 6 eschalots, halved • 2 cm fresh ginger, peeled, grated • 1 garlic, crushed • 1½ tsps fennel seeds • 2 cups apple cider • 2 cups chicken stock or water • 2 apples, cored, sliced • 2 fennel bulbs, sliced, fronds reserved • 2 golden delight potatoes, sliced thinly • Steamed green beans, to serve
1 Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C.
2 In a large, flameproof casserole dish, heat oil on high. Dust pork in flour. Brown in 2 batches, 4 to 5 mins each. Transfer to a plate.
3 In same dish, saute eschalots, ginger and garlic 1 to 2 mins. Return pork to pan with fennel seeds and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 mins.
4 Pour in cider and stock and bring to boil. Bake, covered, 30 mins.
5 Sitr apple and fennel through. Arrange potato slices over top, slightly overlapping.
6 Return to oven and bake a further 35 to 40 mins, until potatoes are tender and golden. Serve with beans.
TIP: If you are dicing your own pork, trim pork shoulder on neck and cut into 3-cm cubes. Replace apples with firm pears, if liked. Casseroles taste even better the next day, as it allows time for flavours to develop.
