91Èȱ¬

Ingredients

• 3.5ltrs of mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
• 300ml salted water
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

For the cream coconut soup or sauce

• A good handful coriander stalks,ÌýchoppedÌý
• Glug of vegetable oil
• 100g chopped shallots
• 2 green chilli peppers – de-seeded
• 1 thumb ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 stalk of lemon grass, chopped
• Zest from a lime
• 200ml coconut milk
• Juice from a lime
• Large handful picked coriander leaves
• Maldon sea salt

Method
First make the accompanying green coconut sauce. Ìý

Place a heavy-based sauce pan over a moderate heat on the hob. Ìý

Place the first 8 ingredients in the pan (oil, stalks, shallots, chilli, ginger, garlic, lemon grass and zest). Ìý

Sweat for 4 or 5 minutes, continually stirring with a wooden spoon until the shallots are translucent and soft.

Add the lime juice, coconut milk and coriander. ÌýBring the pan to the simmer; allow to continue cooking on the lowest simmer for 10 minutes.Ìý

Adjust consistency to that of a creamy soup by adding boiling water.

At the Crooked Billet, we blitz the sauce in a food processor until smooth, although the sauce is equally delicious left chunky.

The sauce can be prepared in advance and re-heated, or serve immediately. ÌýEither way, taste or season with Maldon salt.

For the mussels
Put the salted water and garlic in a very large pan and bring to the boil, add the mussels (you may find that you need to cook the mussels in batches). Ìý

Shake the pan around as the mussels begin to open, they will only take a minute or two to cook.

Remove the mussels to a large serving dish using a slotted spoon – discard any that haven’t opened.

Bring the accompanying green coconut sauce to boil and pour over the mussels. Ìý

Ingredients

• 150ml vegetable oil
• 2kg diced pork belly or pork shoulder
• 6 garlic cloves, bashed
• 2 tbsp ground star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1tsp ground white pepper
• Maldon sea salt
• 1 tsp palm sugar or demerara
• 6 tangerines, segmented & zest finely shredded
• 2 red chilli, stalks removed, deseeded & finely chopped
• 600g very ripe tomatoes, chopped chunky
• 4 large carrots, attractively chunky sliced on the diagonal
• 2 fennel heads, attractively chunky sliced
• 8 sticks celery, attractively chunky sliced on the diagonal
• 4 red onions, peeled & quartered
• 2 thumbs ginger, peeled & cut into matchsticks
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked & roughly chopped, stalks finely chopped
• 4 sticks of lemon grass, outer skin removed, bruised and finely chopped Ìý

Method

Season the pork with salt & pepper.Heat half the oil in a large heavy based sauce pan over a moderate heat. Add the diced pork in small batches, seal & caramelise with the star anise.Ìý

Add a little more olive oil if required.Ìý

Add garlic, cinnamon, white pepper, sugar, segments of tangerine, chilli & tomato. Reduce the heat to a very slow simmer, lid on & slowly cook the pork on the hob for 2½ to 3½ hours until very tender (casserole it in the oven if you prefer, 2½ to 3½ hours at 160°C).Ìý

Keep an eye on the moisture content; add more very ripe chopped tomatoes or a splash of boiling water if necessary. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the carrot, fennel, celery & onion for 2 minutes.Ìý

Drain the vegetables in a colander & refresh them in cold water.Five minutes before serving, check & correct the seasoning. Add the ginger, lemongrass, tangerine zest, blanched vegetables & coriander. Adding the ginger, zest & coriander at the last minute will add zing; their aromatic flavour is well scented & full.

If you’re freezing the dish to take camping, let the pork stew cool completely before adding the ginger, zest & vegetables. It will taste loads better if you add the coriander at the campsite.

Ingredients

• 270 dark chocolate
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• ¼ cup strong coffee-cold

Ìý

For Ice cream

• 1 L Coconut purée
• 1L Coconut Juice
• 400g sugar
• 4 grass
• 4 lime leaves
• 150g glucose syrup

Ìý

Method

Melt the chocolate on Bain- Marie.

Beat the coconut and sugar together till smooth.

Fold in the chocolate.

Pour into the tin and bake at 150 C in a Bain-Marie for 40 minutes until just set and has a wobble.

Leave in the fridge overnight to set.

To make the ice cream bring all the ingredients to the boil, leave in the fridge to infuse overnight.

Strain and churn.