Poppy O’Toole's two course slow cooker feast
Poppy O’Toole, aka Poppy Cooks, is back in the This Morning kitchen, serving up a delicious main and dessert: Pulled Pork and a Chocolate and Orange Brioche pudding - all made with the trusty slow cooker!
Poppy O’Toole’s Pulled Pork
Serves: 4
Ingredients
800g boneless pork shoulder1 red onion, thinly sliced ½ garlic bulb, cloves separated, peeled and grated or crushed 1 x 400g can of plum tomatoes2 tbsp tomato purée1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar1 tsp cumin seeds2 bay leaves1 heaped tsp smoked paprika About 300ml lager 1-2 tsp chilli flakes, to tasteSalt and black pepper
For the fries:Potatoes or oven-bake fries Smoked paprikaSalt American cheese sheets Soured cream Spring onions, chopped Fresh chillies, chopped
Method
Cooking time: 5 hours on high / 8-10 hours on low
1. Season the pork generously with salt and let it come up to room temperature. Cut away any really large fatty pieces, but don't remove it all as this will add lots of flavour and thicken the sauce. You can do this up to a day in advance, if you have time.
2. Add the pork with all the remaining ingredients (crush the plum tomatoes with your hands as you add them) and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the bowl of your slow cooker, and stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, until the pork is completely tender.
3. At this point, remove the skin (it should come away easily) and shred the meat with a fork. Remove the bowl from the heater part and mix the contents well until the shredded pork is evenly distributed throughout the sauce. Taste to check the seasoning and adjust as needed - it should be a balance of sweet, spicy and salty.
4. If you're feeling extra fun, make yourself some topped fries - cook or bake some fries in the air fryer or oven until crunchy, then toss them in some smoked paprika and salt. Get them in an ovenproof dish and top with hot pulled pork and some plastic cheese slices (they're made to melt so they go perfectly oozy over the pork). Put them under a hot grill for 5-10 minutes for the cheese to melt. Then, drizzle with some soured cream and sprinkle over some chopped spring onions and chopped fresh chillies.
Poppy O’Toole’s Chocolate Orange Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the custard: 4 egg yolks65g golden caster sugar1¼ tsp vanilla paste, or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod 1 large orange, zested Small pinch of salt 330ml whole milk330ml double cream
For the bread pudding: 20g butter300g day-old brioche bread, sliced, or halved lengthways if using brioche rolls 100g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped 1 tbsp demerara sugar
To serve: Double cream, vanilla ice cream or extra custard - or all three!
Method
Cooking time: 1 hour on high / 2 hours on low
1. To make the custard, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, orange zest and salt, until the sugar has mostly dissolved, then stir in the milk and cream. Set aside.
2. Generously grease the base and half way up the sides of the slow cooker bowl with the butter. Lay half the brioche across the base of the bowl, then scatter over half of the chocolate, followed by the remaining slices of brioche.
3. Pour the custard over the brioche and scatter over the rest of the chocolate and the demerara sugar. Place a clean tea towel over the top of the bowl (this will absorb the steam), then put the lid on, stretching the tea towel taut using the exposed edges. Cook on high for 1 hour or on low for 2 hours, until just set and golden. Be careful not to cook it for too long otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.