Stuffing and gravy

I am getting a head start on preparations for the Christmas meal, time to make stock, to be used in the gravy. Looking at the photo, the submerged contents look like a miniature scene more suited to CSI. Sitting on the sidelines I've got some pork shoulder and chicken livers, which I haven't photographed, together with a bottle of brandy. Additional ingredients.

Pictured in the pot is a whole chicken with herbs and the usual, garlic, celery, carrots, onions, peppercorns and cloves. The poached chicken will be mixed with pork shoulder, liver, herbs and brandy, bound together with egg and topped off with bacon. Leftovers gets eaten as pâté after Christmas.

Recipe follows.

Easy, delicious, gluten free pork, lemon and thyme stuffing

You would think there was a big market for gluten free food, especially at Christmas. Yet all I could find in the local supermarket was gluten free chocolate macaroons. But what I need is stuffing. So I bought some pork and bacon and set to making my own.


My local butcher does do gluten free sausagemeat, however I wanted to make some without any imitations of flour or bread in it. So I bought some loin chops and some unsmoked bacon to put together with rice and herbs. 

In this stuffing the lemony tang is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the pork. It is a good match for the richness of roast chicken and potatoes. It's also a  As usual the dilemma is how to avoid overeating. 


By the way, there's no egg in this stuffing either, all the sticking together is done by stirring and the rice.

pork loin

Pork, thyme, lemon and parsley stuffing

ingredients

330g pork loin (that's two large chops, with fat)

160g unsmoked back bacon

2 onions

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp dried thyme (or half tbsp of fresh thyme)

zest and juice of one lemon

1/2 mug rice

2 handfuls flaked rice

two healthy pinches of Maldon sea salt

2tsp mixed peppercorns (red, green, black)

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

method

• Cook the rice, stir in zest of lemon and pepper - it'll look like it's covered in ash, but the smell is delicious. Set aside.
• Mince or finely chop the pork and bacon.
• Finely chop onion and garlic, and fry on low heat until translucent, then stir in herbs.
• Mix all ingredients together.



diced pork and bacon ready for mincing 

• Roll into balls and chill for several hours before cooking.

Cook on oiled baking tin for 30m, or until brown at 375°F/190°C/Gas mark 6.

Makes 14 balls, could be 15.

These balls can be made ahead and frozen - add 10m to cooking time if you are cooking from frozen. 

mince old style or with a food processor

notes

• The fat of the pork and bacon keeps the balls moist while cooking. If you think the port is lean, drizzle with olive oil or put a dab of butter on them before cooking. 
• Wrap the balls in bacon if you like, that keeps them moist too.
• the rice flakes make the balls nice and sticky, but you can just use a bit more cooked rice and blitz it with the meat.

This stuffing goes well with roast chicken, such as best roast chicken.


I'm going to try them in a tomato sauce soon.


Aha! in tomato sauce they are great, with rice and a sprinkling of parmesan. Extra pepper.