Braised Nam Yue Pig Trotter

Most of my regular readers must be wondering where on earth have I disappeared to for the past couple of months. The thing is, audreycooks will be shifting to a brand new kitchen, middle of this year so I am terribly occupied with designing and supervising the whole rectification and renovation works.

Prayerfully, this new kitchen can handle more home-entertaining than the present one. But surely I will miss my wonderful present kitchen which holds uncountable fond memories.

Many have taken refuge in my humble present kitchen, where most intimate conversations have taken place over a strong coffee and many have left a stronger person. I thank God for all these friends who have shared, cried, joked and laughed with me in this wonderful kitchen. Surely, you know who you are and do follow me to my new culinary den.

Ingredients

1 pig trotter (cut into half vertically)
1 1/2 cubes of nam yue (fermented bean curd)
1 tsp miso paste
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
5 large slices of old ginger
1 tsp white peppercorns (lightly crushed
1/2 tsp sugar
Shao Hsing Chinese fragrant rice wine
sea salt to taste
filtered water

Method

1. Mix nam yue and miso paste together with olive oil and rub all over the pig trotter. Leave covered in the refrigerator overnight to marinate.
2. Heat a non-stick pan, drizzle some grapeseed oil and sear the pig trotter evenly.
3. Pre-heat the slow-cooker on high for 10 minutes and put in the seared pig trotter, garlic, old ginger, sugar and peppercorns.
4. Heat up the remaining nam yue sauce and add 200ml of filtered hot water. Bring to boil.
5. Pour the boiling sauce into the slow-cooker and cook on high for 2 hours and bring down to low for another hour. When done, pour in 2 – 3 Tbsp of Chinese rice wine and add sea salt to taste if not salty enough. Usually for me, the nam yue and miso is salty enough to flavour the trotter, so no salt is added anymore.
6. Lift out the trotter and leave to cool before slicing it thinly with a carving knife. Arrange the slices on the serving platter and scoop some ladles of thick sauce over the dish before serving. Best savored with hot rice.