BONFIRE NIGHT – EPIC FOOD IDEAS

Okey-dokey, twenty people are coming to spend Bonfire Night at yours and you have already sorted your fireworks (from Epic of course) and are simply sick and tired of hot dogs and burgers?

Well, here are some scrumptious recipes which are easy to prepare and will feed your screaming hordes who will eat like kings.

STICKY MAPLE AND MUSTARD PULLED PORK WRAPS
3 ½lb PIECE OF BONED SHOULDER PORK
200 ML SWEET CIDER (CAN USE A BEER IF PREFERRED)
FLOUR TORTILLA WRAPS

FOR THE MARINADE:
2 RED CHILLIES
3 GARLIC CLOVES
2 TABLESPOONS OF BROWN SUGAR
4 TABLESPOONS OF MAPLE SYRUP
1-2 INCH OF FRESH GINGER
1 HEAPED TABLESPOON OF DIJON MUSTARD
1 TSP DRIED THYME
2 TABLESPOONS OF VEGETABLE/OLIVE OIL

First of all, put all of the marinade ingredients into a food processor and whizz until smooth. Pat the pork dry and thoroughly score the skin to enable the marinade to penetrate the meat. Put the meat into a tray and coat the whole of the piece in the marinade, cling film and put in the fridge overnight.

When you come to cook the pork, simply take from the fridge and leave out for half an hour to take the chill off (which enables the flavours to re-establish themselves) and then put into the oven on Gas 7 or 200°C (fan) for around 20 minutes then cover and turn the oven down to Gas 2 (140° fan) for 5 hours, basting occasionally. At the end of the 5 hour cooking time, remove the foil, turn it back up to Gas 7 or 200°C (fan) for a final 20 minutes before removing from the oven and leave to rest. In the meantime, pour the juices into a pan and simmer to reduce to a sticky sauce (gravy).

Once rested, pull the pork apart with forks, drizzle over the sauce and you are ready to serve with a heap of tortilla wraps. You can serve them either as they are or with a salad of shredded lettuce, peeled and finely sliced cucumber and red onions.

If you think that Yorkshire Parkin is a bit dry (you clearly haven’t tried our recipe: https://epicfireworks.com/blogs/news/pie-peas-parkin-and-pyro-the-perfect-combo but if you would like to try something a little different with that delicious warming effect, this is a delicious alternative:

STICKY GINGER CAKE WITH SPICED MARSCAPONE CREAM
1/2 LB SELF RAISING FLOUR
3 TABLESPOONS GROUND GINGER
1 TEASPOON BICARBONATE OF SODA
6OZ GOLDEN SYRUP
2 TABLESPOONS OF BLACK TREACLE
4OZ DARK BROWN SUGAR
4OZ BUTTER
2 INCH PIECE OF GRATED FRESH GINGER
2 LARGE EGGS
8 FLUID OZ MILK
FOR THE CREAM:
7OZ MARSCAPONE
5OZ DOUBLE CREAM
½ TEASPOON OF GROUND GINGER
¼ TEASPOON OF CINAMMON
STEM/CRYSTALISED GINGER
½ TSP CASTER SUGAR

METHOD: Sieve all the dried ingredients into a bowl. On a low heat put the butter, sugar, golden syrup and treacle to melt them. Add the grated ginger and stir in the heated ingredients with a metal spoon. Whisk the eggs and milk and add to the mixture. Once combined, pour into a lined baking tin (this recipe will fill an 8 inch square tin or a 10 inch round lined tin). Put into a pre-heated oven Gas 4 (160° fan) for around 35 minutes or until a skewer can be pushed into the cake and come out clean.

For the cream, whip the mascarpone until it can hold a soft peak, whip the cream and fold it in and add the ground ginger, crystallised ginger and cinnamon and a half tsp caster sugar.

You can either cut the cake up into squares (or wedges if you have a round tin) and serve the cream on the side.