Name: Katsu pork with sticky rice
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 200g short-grain or sushi rice rinsed; 100g panko breadcrumbs; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 egg white; 450g pork fillet trimmed and cut into 8 pieces; coriander sprigs, to garnish (optional); pickled ginger to serve (optional); 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 onion chopped; 1 medium carrot grated; 2 eating apples such as Braeburn, peeled, cored and roughly chopped; 2 fat garlic cloves sliced; 2 tsp medium curry powder; ½ tsp ground ginger; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tsp clear honey; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp cornflour; 350ml chicken stock; 1 tsp sesame oil

200g short-grain or sushi rice
rinsed
100g panko
breadcrumbs
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg white
450g pork fillet
trimmed and cut into 8 pieces
coriander
sprigs, to garnish (optional)
pickled ginger
to serve (optional)

For the sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion
chopped
1 medium carrot
grated
2 eating apples
such as Braeburn, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
2 fat garlic cloves
sliced
2 tsp medium curry powder
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp clear honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
350ml chicken stock
1 tsp sesame oil

Method

step 1
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, carrot and apples. Cover and cook gently for 10 mins until softened, stirring a couple of times. Uncover the pan, turn up the heat, add the garlic and cook for 1 min.
step 2
Stir in the curry powder and ginger. Cook for 1 min more, then stir in the tomato purée, honey, soy and cornflour. Gradually stir in the stock and simmer for 5 mins until the vegetables are totally soft and the sauce has thickened. Blitz with a blender or in a liquidiser until smooth, then season to taste with the sesame oil, salt and pepper. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.
step 3
While the sauce is cooking, put the pork between 2 sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until the meat is about 1cm thick. In a shallow bowl, rub together the crumbs, turmeric and oil with some seasoning. Beat the egg white with a fork until a little frothy and have a non-stick baking tray ready.
step 4
Put the rice in a saucepan with 400ml cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover, then simmer for 10 mins. Take off the heat and set aside until ready to serve the pork.
step 5
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Dip each piece of pork into the egg, then the crumbs, pressing them onto the surface before transferring the meat to the tray. Bake the pork for 10-15 mins or until golden and crisp, turning once if needed. Serve with the rice and katsu sauce, garnished with coriander, if using, plus pickled ginger, if you like.