Chef Peter Gilmore’s Japanese-Inspired Pairing for LARK Mizunara Rare Cask

MIZUNARA OAK RARE CASK x PETER GILMORE

A JAPANESE -INSPIRED PAIRING

LARK Distillery’s Mizunara Oak Rare Cask release is a tribute to craftsmanship, with each bottle of Tasmanian whisky aged in rare 200-year-old Japanese Mizunara oak barrels. To celebrate, Chef Peter Gilmore, our LARK ambassador, brings his passion for Japanese flavours and craftsmanship to a bespoke dish of slow-cooked pork jowl with cauliflower cream, prunes, and roasted pecans.

PETER SHARES A PASSION FOR JAPAN AND JAPANESE FLAVOURS

GILMORE'S 150-year-old Japanese ceramic bowl

For Peter, Japan’s influence is as close to home as his kitchen, where each dish reflects the balance of umami and seasonal produce. Peter has created a dish of slow cooked pork jowl with cauliflower cream, prunes and roasted pecan presented in a bespoke ceramic bowl that was inspired by a treasured 150-year-old ceramic bowl procured in a vintage market in Japan and asked Australian artisan ceramicist Paul Davis to respectfully recreate it.

the hint of honey on the palate play off beautifully in this dish

A dish inspired by the elegance and richness of the MIzunara Oak

“When creating this dish, I was inspired by the elegance and richness of this whisky; LARK’s Mizunara Rare Cask Release is incredibly special."

The Mizunara oak finish, and the hint of honey on the palate play off beautifully in this dish with roasted pecans and the sweetness of the prunes.
I've created this dish with the intention of it being an intricate marriage between the whisky and the elements on the plate.” says LARK Brand Ambassador Peter Gilmore.

Below, explore Chef Gilmore’s recipe to recreate this exceptional experience at home.

 cauliflower cream, prunes and roasted pecans

Slow cooked pork jowl

INGREDIENTS

4 dried prunes
2 x 300gms pork jowls (or 400gm square piece of pork belly)
1.5 litres olive oil
50mls Oloroso sherry
20gms castor sugar
20mls sherry vinegar
150gms cauliflower florets
50gms unsalted butter
16 pecan halves
50gms crème fraiche
sea salt flakes

METHOD

Prepare your prunes by placing them in a ceramic bowl then pour over enough boiling water to just submerge the prunes. Place the prunes in the fridge overnight or at least 12 hours.

Ask your butcher to cut 2 x 300gms pig jowls with the skin left on, or alternatively prepare 400gm pork belly with the skin left on.

Using an oven proof deep dish that is large enough to fit the jowls (or belly) with side walls of at least 10cm height. Submerge the pork in olive oil and ensure the pork is covered by at least 2cm. Set your oven to 110 Celsius. Cover the pork dish in aluminium foil and make sure to puncture the foil with a point of a knife in about 10 places to allow steam to escape. Place the dish in the middle shelf of the oven and slowly cook for approximately 6 hours. Check on the progress after an hour, the oil should not be boiling, if it is, turn the oven down to 90 Celsius. After 6 hours of slow cooking, carefully remove the tray from the oven and allow the pork to cool in the oil for an hour or so. Remove the pork onto a flat large plate or tray, do this with a couple of large slotted spoons. Place some cling film over the pork and then another tray or plate over the top to sandwich the pork. You will need some weight on the top plate because we want to gently press the pork. Place the weighted pork in the fridge and allow to set for approximately 4 hours or overnight. Reserve 200 mls of the cooking oil. When the pork is cool and set and you are using jowls, you will need to cut away all of the skin and the majority of the fat surrounding the meat. Cut the meat into 4 x 50gm portions. If using belly remove the skin and cut the pork into 4 x 50gms portions.

Remove the prunes from their soaking water, place them into a small pot with the sherry, sugar and sherry vinegar. Add 50 mls of the soaking water. Place the prunes on a medium to low heat and allow them to simmer for approximately 5 – 8 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half and the prunes are soft. Allow to cool, remove the prunes from the liquid, cut them in half and remove the stones. Return the 8 halves to the pot with the remaining liquid ready to reheat later.

Steam the cauliflower florets on high until they are soft – this will take approximately 5 minutes. Place the florets into a food processor, add 20gms of unsalted butter, a pinch of sea salt and blend on high until a smooth puree is formed. Place the puree into a small pot ready to be reheated. Roast the pecans in a moderate oven for around 8 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the pecans to cool then slice them lengthwise into about 4 pieces each. Put them into a small pan with the remaining 30gms of unsalted butter ready to be reheated.

To finish and serve
Place the pork into an oven proof dish with the reserved cooking oil. Put the pork into a moderate oven reheating until the pork is hot approximately 10 minutes. In the meantime, reheat the cauliflower puree while whisking in the crème fraiche. Gently reheat your prunes and warm up the pecan slices.
Place a spoonful of cauliflower cream in the centre of each warmed serving bowl. Place 2 prune halves either side of the puree and add a little of the remaining juice. Remove the pork from the oven and place a piece of pork on top of the prunes and cauliflower. Season the pork with a little sea salt then arrange the pecan nuts on top. Serve.