Makes about 80-90 dumplings
INGREDIENTS
450g/1 lb/4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
about 450ml/3/4 pint/2 cups water flour, for dusting

Filling
450g/1 lb Chinese leaves or white cabbage
450g/1 lb minced (ground) pork
1 tbsp finely-chopped spring onions (scallions)
1 tsp finely-chopped fresh ginger
2 tsp salt
1 tsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp sesame oil

Dip Sauce
2 tbsp red chilli oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp finely-chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely-chopped spring onions (scallions)
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and serve with the Pork Dumplings.

Sift the flour into a bowl, then slowly pour in the water and mix to a firm dough. Knead until smooth and soft, then cover with a damp cloth

and set aside for 25—30 minutes.

For the filling, blanch the cabbage leaves until soft. Drain and finely chop. Mix the cabbage with the remaining ingredients.

Lightly dust a work surface with the flour Knead and roll the dough into a long sausage about 2.5cm/1in in diameter. Cut the sausage into

about 80-90 small pieces a fiatten each piece with the palm of your hand.

Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece into a thin pancake about 6cm/2.5in in diameter.

5 Place about 1 tbsp of the filling in the centre of each pancake and fold into a half-moon-shaped pouch.

Pinch the edges firmly so that the dumpling is tightly sealed.

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a wok or frying pan. Place the dumplings in rows in the oil and fry over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Makes 12
INGREDIENTS
350g/12oz frozen pastry, thawed

Filling
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp thyme
1 15g/4oz minced (ground) pork
1 tsp paprika
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
I hard-boiled egg, chopped
1 medium gherkin (pickle), chopped
2 tbsp freshly-chopped parsley
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

To make the filling, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok and soften the onions, garlic and thyme without browning, for about 3—4

minutes. Add the pork and paprika then brown evenly for 6—8 minutes. Season well, turn out into a bowl and cool. When the mixture is cool,

add the hard-boiled egg, gherkin (pickle) and parsley.

Turn the pastry out onto a floured wofl surface and roll out to a 37.5cm/15iJ square. Cut out 12 circles 12.5cm/5in dial meter. Place 1 tbsp

of the filling on each circle, moisten the edges with a little watefl fold over and seal. Heat the vegetable oil inf deep-fryer fitted with a basket, to

196°0 385°F. Place 3 Empanadas at a time in the basket and deep-fry until golden browa Frying should take at least 1 minute or the inside

filling will not be heated through. Se warm in a basket covered with a napkin.

Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 small green guava, peeled, halved and seeded
115g/4oz green beans, topped, tailed and halved
1 small, under-ripe mango, peeled, flesh removed and chopped
1 star fruit, thickly sliced
85g/3oz green cabbage, shredded
350g/12oz lean pork, diced
1.4 litres/2/1/2 pints/6/1/4 cups chicken stock salt
225g/8oz raw or cooked prawn (shrimp) tails, peeled
1 tbsp fish or soy sauce
1 tsp crushed black pepper
285g/10 oz sweet potato, peeled and cut into even pieces
2 spring onions (scallions), shredded, to garnish
2 tbsp tamarind sauce
2 limes, quartered, to garnish
juice of 2 limes
225g/8oz unripe tomatoes, quartered

Trim the pork, peel the prawns (shrimp) and set aside. Measure the tamarind sauce and lime juice into a saucepan.

Add the pork, guava and mango. Pour in the stock. Add the fish or soy sauce and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Add the remaining fruit, vegetables and prawns (shrimp). Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning, garnish and serve.

Serves
INGREDIENTS
700g/1/1/2lb lean pork, diced
425ml/15fl oz/1/1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into sticks
1 clove garlic, crushed
50g/2oz creamed coconut
2 firm tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 tsp paprika
150ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup vegetable oil or lard
1 small bunch chives, chopped
1 tsp cracked black pepper (shortening), for frying
1 tbsp sugar
1 under-ripe papaya or paw paw, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
175ml/6fl oz/1/3 cup palm or cider vinegar
2 small bay leaves
salt

Marinate the pork, garlic, paprika, black pepper, sugar, vinegar and bay leaves for 2 hours. Add the stock and coconut.

Simmer gently for 30—35 minutes, re-move pork, and drain. Heat the oil and brown the pork evenly. Remove and drain.

Return the pork to the sauce with thel papaya or paw paw, season and simmer 15-20 minutes. Add garnishes and serve.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

450g/1lb asparagus
450g/1lb dried tagliatelle
225g/8oz cooked ham, in 5mm/1/4in thick slices, cut into sticks
2 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
50g/2oz Parmesan cheese, shaved
salt and ground black pepper

For the dressing
50g/2oz cooked potato
75ml/5 tbsp olive oil, preferably Sicilian
15ml/1 tbsp lemon juice
10ml/2 tsp Dijon mustard
120ml/4fl oz/1/2 cup vegetable stock

Trim and discard the tough woody part of the asparagus. Cut the spears in half and cook the thicker halves in boiling salted water for 12

minutes. After 6 minutes add the tips. Drain, then refresh under cold water until warm.

Finely chop 150g/5oz of the thick asparagus pieces. Place in a food processor with the dressing ingredients and process until smooth.

Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water according to the packet instructions, until tender. Refresh under cold water until warm, and drain.

To serve, toss the pasta with the asparagus sauce and divide among 4 plates. Top with the ham, hard-boiled eggs and asparagus tips.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese shavings.

Variation

Use sliced chicken instead of the ham or thin slices of softer Italian cheese, such as Fontina or asiago.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

225g/8oz new potatoes, halved if large
50g/2oz green beans
115g/4oz young spinach leaves
2 spring onions (scallions), sliced
4 eggs, hard-boiled and quartered
50g/2oz Bayonne ham, cut into strips
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and ground black pepper

For the dressing
60ml/4 tbsp olive oil
5ml/1 tsp ground turmeric
5ml/1 tsp ground cumin
50g/2oz/1/2cup shelled hazelnuts

Cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until tender, then drain. Cook the beans in salted, boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain.

Toss the potatoes and beans with the spinach and spring onions in a bowl.

Arrange the hard-boiled egg quarters on the salad and sprinkle the strips of ham over the top. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and season

with plenty of salt and pepper.

Heat the dressing ingredients in a large frying pan and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts turn golden. Pour the hot, nutty

dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

Variation

Replace the potatoes with a 400g/14oz can mixed beans and pulses. Drain and rinse the beans and pulses, then drain again. Toss lightly

with the green beans and spring onions.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

12 small new potatoes, cooked
12 very thin slices Parma ham
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt

Roll each potato in a slice of Parma ham, patting with your hands to mould the ham to the shape of the potato.

Oil a roasting tin, add the potatoes and cook in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes. Check the potatoes once or

twice while they are cooking and turn them, or move them around, to ensure they cook evenly.

Serve the potatoes sprinkled with sea salt.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

50 g/2 oz sultanas
4 tablespoons Marsala
4 long thin pork steaks (cut from the tenderloin), about 75 g/3 oz each
4 thick slices Parma ham
I tablespoon chopped sage
16 cubes white bread, about 2.5 cm/1 inch square
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 thin slices bacon, rinded and halved crossways
salt and pepper

Mix the sultanas with the Marsala. Cover and leave to stand for 1 hour.

Cut each pork steak into 4 long strips, then cut the slices of ham into strips roughly the same size.

Lay a strip of ham on top of each strip of pork. Sprinkle each strip with some chopped sage, a few of the sultanas, and salt and pepper to

taste. Roll each strip up neatly, so that you have 16 sausage shapes.

Brush each cube of bread with a little olive oil, then roll each one in half bacon slice.

Thread 4 pork and ham rolls and 4 bread and bacon rolls alternately on to each of 4 kebab skewers. Brush the kebabs with olive oil.

Cook on the greased grill of a preheated barbecue or under a preheated grill for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve hot with a green salad.

SERVES FOUR

INGREDIENTS

30ml/2 tbsp vegetable oil
15ml/1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
10ml/2 tsp ground cumin
5ml/1 tsp dried oregano
8 pork loin chops, about 5mm/ 1/4in thick
salt and ground black pepper

For the salsa
2 fresh hot green chillies
2 green (bell) peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tomato, peeled and seeded
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
4 spring onions (scallions)
1 pickled jalapeno chilli
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
30ml/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
45ml/3 tbsp cider vinegar
5ml/1 tsp salt

In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil, lemon juice, cumin and oregano. Add pepper to taste and stir to mix well.

Arrange the pork chops in one layer in a shallow dish. Brush each of them with the oil mixture on both sides. Cover them with clear film (plastic wrap) and set aside to marinate for 2-3 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

For the salsa, roast the chillies overa gas flame, holding them with tongs, until charred on all sides. Alternatively, char the skins under the grill (broiler). Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Wearing rubber gloves, remove the skin. For a less hot flavour, discard the seeds.

Place the chillies in a food processor or blender. Add the remaining salsa ingredients. Process until finely chopped but do not puree.

Transfer the salsa to a small, heavy pan and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Season the pork chops to taste with salt and pepper. Heat a ridged griddle pan. Alternatively, preheat the grill (broiler). When hot, add the pork chops and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned on the undersides. Turn and continue cooking for a further 5-7 minutes, until done. Work in batches, if necessary.

Serve immediately, with the sour green chilli salsa.

SERVES SIX TO EIGHT

INGREDIENTS

3-1.6kg/3-3 1/2 lb boneless loin of pork
60ml/4 tbsp fine, dry breadcrumbs
10ml/2 tsp chopped fresh sage
25ml/1 1/2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
300ml/ 1/2 pint/1 1/4 cups (hard) cider
150ml/ 1/4 pint/ 2/3 cup water
5-10ml/1-2 tsp crab apple or redcurrant jelly
salt and ground black pepper
fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish

For the stuffing
25g/1oz/2 tbsp butter
50g/2oz bacon, finely chopped
2 large onions, finely chopped
75g/3oz/1 1/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
30ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
5ml/1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
10ml/2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 small (US medium) egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/ Gas 7. To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a pan and cook the bacon until it begins to brown, then add the onions and cook gently until softened. Mix with the breadcrumbs, sage, thyme, lemon rind and egg, then season well.

Cut the rind off the piece of pork in one piece and score it well. Cooking the rind separately makes crisper crackling than leaving it on the pork.

Place the pork fat side down, and season. Add a layer of stuffing, then roll up and tie neatly.

Lay the rind over the pork and rub in 5ml/1 tsp salt. Roast for 2-2 1/2/ hours, basting with the pork fat once or twice. Reduce the temperature to 190°C/375°F/ Gas 5 after 20 minutes. Shape the remaining stuffing into balls and add to the roasting pan for the last 30 minutes.

Remove the rind from the pork. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 and roast the rind for a further 20-25 minutes, until crisp.

Mix the dry breadcrumbs and sage and press them into the fat. Cook the pork for 10 minutes, then cover and set aside in a warm place for 15-20 minutes.

Remove all but 30-45ml/2-3 tbsp of the fat from the roasting pan and place it on the hob (stovetop). Stir in the flour, followed by the cider and water. Bring to the boil and then cook gently for
10 minutes. Strain the gravy into a clean pan, add the crab apple or redcurrant jelly, and cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve the pork cut into thick slices and
the crisp crackling cut into strips with the
cider gravy, garnished with thyme.