Hue paddy field pork

This Vietnamese pork dish is delicious with sticky rice. Great for impressing at dinner parties.

Info

Serves
4
Prep time
Less then 30 minutes
Cooking time
30 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 100g / 3.5oz light muscovado sugar
  • 125ml diluted fish sauce (for every tbsp of fish sauce add three of water until you have
  • 500g / 1lb 2oz boneless pork loin
  • 4 tbsp chopped shallots
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves
  • 8 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 large chilli, sliced lengthways and deseeded
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 4 hard-boiled quail's eggs, shelled and halved

To serve

  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced and deep-fried, to garnish
  • sticky coconut rice

Method

  1. Put all the sugar into a pan over a gentle heat and stir constantly until it melts. You may need a little of the diluted fish sauce to help it on its way. Allow the colour to darken, then slowly add the remaining diluted fish sauce until it all amalgamates and goes a darkish brown.

  2. Add the pork, the chopped shallot, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, chilli, pepper and lime juice. Cover and simmer on a low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you like a thicker sauce, leave the lid off the pan for the last 10 minutes.

  3. Arrange the quail's eggs on a plate with the pork and pour the sauce on top.

  4. Garnish with deep-fried garlic flakes and serve with sticky coconut rice.