Muristek
A spicy meat treat and proper hot pudding for a taste of times gone by
I’m rolling seasoned pork mince into balls (with red onion, thyme and juniper) and frying them over a lowish heat, letting each side turn glossily brown – the colour of polished mahogany. I take great care not to move them around in the pan too much, so a sticky Marmite-like goo forms underneath each one, a molasses-tinted ointment which, when loosened with a little white vermouth (or stock if you prefer) will form a thin, savoury juice. I bring them to the table with a tangle of shredded fennel cooked in the pork juices, seasoned with lemon and black pepper.
On this occasion – a cold late winter Sunday – I also pulled a hot pudding from the oven. A low dome of sponge, a bubbling sauce around its edge, the almost Christmasy smell of warm dough and dried fruits. Chopped apricots studded the pudding, golden sultanas twinkled in the toffee sauce pooling around the edge. We poured a jug of cream into our dishes to quell the sweet heat within.
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