SEYBAK

Serves 8–10

This salad of braised pork is traditionally made with pig’s ears, which lends a lovely crunchy texture to the dish. It can be omitted and replaced with more pork belly if preferred. This dish is great as an appetiser and it goes well with beer.

Pork belly 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz), cut into chunks
Pig’s ears 300 g (11 oz), thoroughly cleaned
Cooking oil 4 Tbsp
Onion 1, peeled and sliced
Garlic 8 cloves, peeled and chopped
Cinnamon 2 sticks, each about 5-cm (2-in)
Cloves 5
Star anise 4
Cardamom 3 pods
Black peppercorns 10 g (⅓ oz)

Galangal 3-cm (1¼-in) knob, peeled
and thickly sliced

Dark soy sauce 2 Tbsp
Ground white pepper 1 Tbsp
Water 500 ml (16 fl oz / 2 cups)
Rock sugar 2 Tbsp

Marinade

Dark soy sauce 4 Tbsp
Light soy sauce 1 Tbsp
Ground white pepper 1 Tbsp

Salad

Cooking oil for deep-frying
Firm bean curd 4, each cut into quarters

Fried bean curd puffs 4, blanched and
thinly sliced

Local salad leaves 300 g (11 oz), shredded

Cucumbers 2, medium, halved and thinly
sliced

Tomatoes 2, medium, halved and thinly sliced
Onion 1, peeled and cut into thin rings

Chilli Sauce

Red chillies 7, stems removed
Garlic 8 cloves, peeled
Ginger 3-cm (1¼-in) knob, peeled
Galangal 1 slice, about 0.5-cm (¼-in) thick
Light soy sauce 1 Tbsp
White vinegar 4 Tbsp
Sugar 1½ Tbsp
Lime juice 1 Tbsp

50

EURASIAN HERITAGE

Cooking