Pork Meatballs Baked With Butternut Squash, Apple and a Cheddar Crumble.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

500g Pork mince

1 tblsp Chopped Sage

2 Cloves of garlic, Crushed and chopped

2 tblsp Plain flour

400g Butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes.

1 Onion, sliced

1 Stick of celery, sliced

100g Fresh, white breadcrumbs

50g Mature cheddar cheese, grated

2 tblsp of chopped parsley

1 Large (or two small) Bramley eating apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1cm chunks.

Olive oil

Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

1 tblsp Dijon mustard

1 tblsp Tomato puree

300ml Chicken stock

Method:

• In a bowl mix the pork mince, 50g of the breadcrumbs, one of the crushed garlic cloves, the sage and a good pinch of salt and black pepper, mix thoroughly and form into 12 equal balls.

• Heat a large frying pan and add a little vegetable oil. Coat the pork balls with a little flour and fry in the pan, turning frequently to brown but not cook through.

• Remove the pork balls from the pan and set aside. Wipe the pan to remove the floury oil and return to the heat adding another table spoon of vegetable oil.
• Fry the diced butternut squash to brown on the outside and remove from pan, set aside with the pork balls.
• Add a little more oil to the pan and start frying the sliced onion on a medium heat, stirring constantly. After a couple of minutes add the celery and garlic. Fry until everything is browned and soft.

• Add the tomato puree to the pan followed by the mustard and season with salt and black pepper, cook on a low heat for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken stock and simmer gently for two more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

• Pre heat an oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) Gas mark 4
• Take a deep baking dish, roughly 12 x 6 inches and place the butternut squash in the bottom, lay the pork balls over the top and then pour the sauce over. Give the dish a little shake to make sure everything lays flat.
• Place a piece of baking parchment over the dish followed by a piece of tin foil tucked around the edges to form a seal.
• Place in the oven for twenty minutes.

• To make the cheese crumble mix the remaining 50g of breadcrumbs, the parsley, cheese, two table spoons of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
• After dish has been baking for twenty minutes remove from the oven and take the tin foil and baking parchment from the dish.
• Sprinkle the diced apple evenly over the top followed by the cheese crumble mix.
• Return to the oven for ten more minutes. The sauce should be bubbling and the crumble mix browned.