Appetizers Recipes - Crispy Pork Balls Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 slices of white bread, crusts removed

• 5ml/1 tsp olive oil

• 225g/8oz skinless, boneless pork meat, roughly chopped

• 50g/2oz drained, canned water chestnuts

• 2 fresh red chilies, seeded and roughly chopped

• 1 egg white

• 10g/1/4 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

• 5ml/1 tsp corn flour (cornstarch)

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp salt

• 1.5ml/1/4 tsp ground white pepper

• 30ml/2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 5ml/1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar

• 30ml/2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp chili oil

• shredded red chilies and fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs

Serves 4-6

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F/Gas1/2. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and cut them into 5mm/1/4in cubes. Spread over a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until dry and crisp.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the pork meat, water chestnuts and chilies in a food processor. Process to a coarse paste.

3. Add the egg white. coriander; corn flour; salt, pepper and half the soy sauce. Process for 30 seconds. Scrape into a bowl, cover and set aside.

4. Remove the toasted bread cubes from the oven and set them aside. Raise the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Shape the pork mixture into 12 balls.

5. Crush the toasted bread cubes and coat the pork balls in the crumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until the pork filling is cooked.

6. In a small bowl, mix the remaining soy sauce with the caster sugar; rice vinegar and chili oil.

7. Serve the sauce with the pork balls, garnished with shredded chilies and coriander sprigs.