Pork in Almond Sauce (4)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large cazuela or shallow flameproof casserole. Add the whole garlic and the slice of bread and fry over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Lift out and leave to drain and cool.
  2. Cut the pork across into 2.5cm-thick slices and then into 75-100g pieces. You want them to be quite large. Season the pieces of pork well, then dust in the flour. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and, when hot, add the pieces of meat and fry briefly to seal but only very lightly colour. Remove to a plate and set to one side.
  3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan with the onion, chopped garlic, pimentón, thyme and bay leaves and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and sweet but not browned.
  4. Add the wine and stock and bring to the boil, rubbing the base of the pan to release any bits and pieces. Return the pork to the pan, lower the heat and season with some salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 1½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.
  5. Spoon about 16 tablespoons of the sauce into a liquidizer or food processor and add the fried bread, fried garlic cloves, almonds and parsley leaves and blend to a smooth paste.
  6. Stir the picada back into the pan, adjust the seasoning to taste, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the sauce has nicely thickened, then serve.