Serves 4
You’ll Need
Fried Curry Leaves
20 curry leaves
4 tbs vegetable oil
Pork Cheek Bacon
200g pork cheek, whole
1 lemon, zest
200g salt
100g brown sugar
20 peppercorns
Toad in a Hole
4 eggs
4 dark rye sourdough, thick slices
50g butter
pinch of sea salt
To Serve
4 toads in a hole
200g pork cheek bacon, sliced
4 pickled eschallots, peeled into leaves
20 curry leaves, fried
Method
Fried Curry Leaves
Preheat non-stick pan over medium heat; add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the curry leaves in the pan and fry until crispy. Remove from oil onto a tray lined with paper towel and pat dry.
Pork Cheek Bacon
Mix salt, brown sugar, lemon zest and peppercorns in a bowl until clumps are broken up. Pour the mixture into a resealable bag and add the pork cheek. Seal the bag and manipulate the bag ensuring the entire cheek has been coated. Place the bag on a flat surface at the bottom of your fridge for 5 days; flipping the bag each day. Remove pork cheek from fridge and rinse with cold water. Using paper towel, pat the cured pork cheek dry and lightly smoke with apple wood chips at 60° C for 20 minutes.
Toad in a Hole
Cut round holes in the slices of dark rye sourdough roughly the same size as your eggs. Reserve the circles you have cut out. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and melt butter. Sprinkle pan with sea salt. Place sourdough slices into the pan and crack eggs into the holes. Also arrange the circle cut outs in the pan. Make sure you press down on the bread to ensure that the egg cannot ooze out underneath. Cook for 2 minutes, then carefully flip the slices and cook for another 1 minute or until the egg whites have almost set completely, leaving a runny yolk.
Serving
Slice your cured bacon and pan fry. Place toad in a hole on a plate with fried bread circles and top with bacon. Sprinkle with fried curry leaves and pickled eschallot leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.