Strips of Pig’s Ear with Squid Recipe

Ingredients

• 3½ oz (100 g) squid body
• 1 Iberian pig’s ear
• 1 onion studded with 4 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp peppercorns
• tsp peppercorns
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 pt (600 ml) water
• 3½ fl oz (100 ml) soy sauce
• 2 tsp Modena balsamic vinegar
• 2 rounded tsp cornflour
• 1¾ fl oz (50 ml) oloroso or other sweet sherry
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 3 leaves pak choi, finely chopped
• ½ Granny Smith apple (or other tart apple for cooking, if out of season)
• olive oil for frying
• a handful of mustard sprouts (or alfafa sprouts)
• 1 heaped tsp Madras curry powder
• marigold flowers (or other edible flowers), to serve

1. Skin the squid, score the body and tenderise.
2. Put the pig’s ear, the onion with the cloves, the bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, salt and water in a saucepan. Cook for about 40 minutes until the ear is tender. Drain 500 ml (17½ fl oz) of the stock into a saucepan and put the ear aside for later.
3. Take the saucepan of the pig’s ear stock and reduce it by simmering over a medium heat with the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Mix the cornflour with the sherry and then add to the stock. Thicken until the sauce turns glossy, then season to taste.
4. Sauté the pak choi in a pan, and put to one side.
5. Cut the apple into small, fine matchsticks, and leave in the fridge.
6. Remove the squid from the freezer (if using this tenderising method) and cut into long, thin strips.
7. Sauté the squid strips in a pan of hot oil until they curl, then set aside.
8. Score the pig’s ear on both sides and cut into small pieces.
9. Arrange the pieces of pig’s ear in a row on the plate, alternating with the pak choi, and top it with the squid, then spoon over the sauce.
10. Scatter over the mustard sprouts and the apple matchsticks, dust the plate with curry powder, and then top with marigold flowers.