A taste of Clare cuisine: Free range pork blanquette by Homestead Cottage

Pork has for a long time been out of fashion, however it is one of the most affordable and tastiest meats to cook.

Lunas farm near Quinn is now farming some of the best in the country with their pigs living their whole life outside in nature. Many local butchers are also stocking free range pork including  local butcher Sean Haugh in the market house Ennistymon.

This recipe is a classic french pork stew finished with cream, a great one to cook for a sunday lunch or a midweek dinner. It can also be made with lamb or chicken thighs however the cooking time will be less.

Ingredients

• 500g diced pork shoulder
• 2 large onions
• 3 sticks celery
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 springs thyme
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 15 chestnut mushrooms
• 50g butter
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 300g cream
• 100g white wine
• 20g whole grain mustard
• 1 tin Haricot Beans In Water
• 100g cabbage or spinach

1. Place the thyme, bay leaf, garlic, white wine and chicken stock in a large pan and bring to a gentle boil.
2. Once these and boiling and the herbs have infused in the stock for 5 minutes add the diced pork shoulder and turn down, simmer lightly for 45 minutes to 1 hour till the pork is tender but still holding its shape. Strain the stock from the pan keeping the stock and the pork separate.
3. Peel and chop the onions into 8 wedges, slice the mushrooms in 4 and celery but the celery into stick 2-3 cm in length.
4. In the pan the pork was cooked, melt the butter, add the onions, celery and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes allowing the vegetables to cook with no colour.
5. Next add in the strained tin of haricot beans and 500g of the stock you cooked the pork to the vegetables, then add the cream and mustard.
6. Bring to a boil and simmer till reduced to the consistency of cream. Season with salt and pepper to your taste
7. Add in the pork and warm through and finish with some chopped pointed cabbage or spinach leaves.
8. This is best served with steamed potatoes or rice enjoy

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