Sometimes I go shopping with particular recipes in mind; other times, like this weekend, I go shopping and then have to figure out what to do with a particular item I’ve come back with. That is how I discovered afelia – I came home with a piece of pork fillet and wondered if any of my recipe books could suggest something that would extend my repertoire.
Afelia, my book of spices told me, is a Cypriot dish consisting of diced pork fillet cooked in red wine with coriander seeds. I more or less followed the recipe, with a the addition of some onion and and garlic as suggested by one online source, and it was okay. It certainly made a decent meal without being particularly tricky but I think I can do it better.
Next time, I think I’ll follow one of the many recipes that suggest marinating the meat with the wine and coriander for several hours rather than just adding them partway through. I will probably also stick in a bay leaf – another common theme – and go for a longer, slower braise and more vegetable content.
It might take a few goes but I should end up with another page in the recipe book in my head.