Prep time: 20 minutes plus 2-3 hours for mandarin peel in oven
Cook time: 10minutes
What you need:
Sichuan mandarin powder
peel from 3 mandarins, save the fruit for the salad
1Tbsp fennel seeds
2&½ Tbsp flaked salt
3Tbsp Szechuan peppercorns lightly toasted
¼tsp five spice
Salad
Pickled blackberries
100g Blackberries – Blueberries for Low FODMAP:
80 ml White wine vinegar
½ tsp salt flakes
Dressing
1&1/2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp vinegar from the blackberry pickle
Salad
8 Radish with tops, finely sliced
3 Mandarins, peeled and sliced into wheels
1 small handful of dill fronds
Pork
2 x large pork loin steaks, leave some fat on. Score the fat in 1cm increments with a sharp knife down the length of the fat. Season with salt and pepper and oil.
Method:
To make the mandarin powder:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 100°C. Place the peel on a baking to dehydrate for 2–3 hours until brittle. If mandarins are out of season, use orange peel.
Step 2: Blitz the dried peel in a spice grinder, or pound to a powder using a mortar and pestle. Add the fennel seed, Szechuan peppercorns and salt and blitz of grind to a find powder. Stir through the 5 spice.
To pickle the blackberries:
Step 1: Place the blackberries in a bowl, smash one or two to release some colour and cover with white wine and salt and pickle for 10-20 minutes. Set aside
To cook the pork:
Step 1: Preheat a large flat bottomed fry pan or barbecue over a high heat.
Step 2: Oil and season on both sides of the pork
Step 3:Fry the pork on one side for 5 minutes, flip and cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side and 2 minutes on the fat side. Remove from heat and set aside to rest for 2 minutes.
To make the salad dressing:
Step 1: Combine the oil and blackberry vinegar in a bowl
Step 2: Toss the radishes in half the dressing.
To plate:
Step 1: Place a couple of slices of mandarin on a serving plate, follow on with the pork chop on top then pile on some radishes and pickled blueberries. Scatter over the dill and drizzle over remaining dressing.
Step 2: Finish the dish with a dusting of mandarin salt. Take the to table with extra mandarin salt on the side.
This meal is high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a key antioxidant in wound healing, immune function and reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease.