Southern Mediterranean slow cooked pork

Entertaining and socialising through food creates strong bonds of friendship and, if done well, lasting ones through positive shared experiences.

The turkey pappettes which my friends and family enjoy at parties are just one small variation of a theme. The original recipe for pappettes uses leftover slices of cooked meat which is rolled and placed in a shallow baking dish and covered with various sauces (depending on meat and or region of France the cook, or the teacher of the cook, is from) and then baked for thirty or forty minutes in a medium oven.

For this particular dish I've used pork neck fillet cut lengthwise so that it opens like a book. Beat the flesh so that it is about, or just under, a centimeter in thickness. Cut the meat in half.

Use the same filling as the turkey pappettes and roll in a similar way - although these rolls will be somewhat larger!

Place the two rolls in a casserole dish.

Then take a medium aubergine and slice lengthwise into half cm thicknesses. Brush with olive oil on both sides and roll in a similar way but with just a few mint leaves in each roll. Place these in the dish.

Add roughly chopped red and green peppers. Add chopped garlic and a scattering of smoked sweet paprika.

Sprinkle two good pinches of dried tarragon and thyme and a good pinch of salt.

In a small bowl add the juice of half a lemon and 5 dessert spoons of olive oil and whisk together and pour over the casserole and add a cup of cold water.

Then take a couple of dozen leaves of mint or 8 or 9 tips to insert into the top of the dish.

Heat your oven to 165 degrees and when ready, cover your casserole with foil and fit the lid tightly on top.

Cook slowly for an initial hour and a half. Uncover, then stir and season further if needed. Recover and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

Along with some savoury rice this should feed four with some further steamed vegetables on the side or a very generous supper for two.