Recipes: Stirring up a heap of flavours for this early autumn dinner

Sweet Chilli Pork and Fresh Greens by Di Curtin.
IT’S that weird time of year when the weather is inclement but not quite wintry. Lovely sunny autumn days are interspersed with dull skies, stiff breezes and lashing rain.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
4 boneless pork loin steaks
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp Chinese five spice
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sunflower oil for cooking
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 fat finger fresh rootginger, grated
Extra soy and sweet chilli sauce to finish
For the greens:
1 small head spring York cabbage, trimmed, finely shredded, rinsed and dried
Handful spicy leaves, rinsed and dried
Sunflower oil for cooking
1/2tsp Chinese Five Spice
- Cut the loin steaks into thin strips and place in a bowl.
- Add soy, sweet chilli sauce, five spice and garlic and turn to coat. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes in a cool place, or in the fridge all day or overnight.
- To cook the pork, heat a little oil in a pan till smoking hot.
- Add the pork in batches, to brown all over.
- When browned, put it all in the pan together and add the spring onions and ginger. Cook for a minute.
- Add 2 tbsp each soy and sweet chilli sauce, and bubble for a minute or two to form a glaze, turning.
- At the same time, heat enough oil in another big frying pan to shallow fry the greens. You want to cover the base of the pan generously with oil. Heat to The smoking.
- Add the greens and stir fry to crisp.
- Drain on kitchen paper and season with five spice, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve the pork on the greens. Decorate with coriander. Serve with boiled rice or noodles.

100g plain flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder
Small pinch of salt
Finely grated zest of a lime
1 tsp caster sugar
Good grating fresh nutmeg
Fresh cold water
Juice of half a lime
Few leaves fresh mint, chopped (optional)
4 apples
Flour for dusting
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl with salt.
- Grate in the lime zest and add sugar and nutmeg.
- Whisk in just enough water to make a smooth batter with the consistency of thickish pouring cream.
- Add lime juice and stir in the mint if using.
- Cut the apples into quarters and remove cores. Cut into wedges.
- Dip into flour to dust then into batter.
- Place in the basket of a deep fat fryer or carefully lower into hot oil with a draining spoon. Deep fry till golden and crisp.
- Remove and drain on kitchen paper then serve immediately.