Ma hor – minced prawns and chicken simmered with palm sugar and peanuts, served on pineapple and mandarins – by David Thompson

INGREDIENTS

(makes 16 pieces)

50g pork mince
50g chicken mince
50g prawn mince
Salt
Oil
2 coriander roots, scraped
3 garlic cloves
10 white peppercorns
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup palm sugar
4tbs fish sauce
3tbs shallots, deep-fried
3tbs garlic, deep-fried
2tbs roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
16 small pieces of cleaned pineapple
16 mandarin segments
Coriander leaves
1 long red chilli, topped, cut in half, deseeded, then shredded

METHOD

Fry the minces separately, each with a pinch of salt, in a little oil, then drain and cool.

Using a pestle and mortar, pound the coriander roots with the garlic, white peppercorns and salt.

Fry the paste in oil until golden and fragrant. Add the palm sugar and fish sauce, simmer for a few minutes, until slightly thickened and then add the minces. Stir regularly to prevent from lumping.

Add half each of the deep-fried shallots, garlic and roasted peanuts and simmer until reduced to a sticky paste. It should taste sweet, nutty and salty. Put to one side to cool.

To prepare the fruit, slice the pineapple and remove the top of the mandarin segments, extracting any seeds and forming a pocket. Nip the bottom to stabilise it.

When ready to serve, roll some of the mixture. Fill the pockets in the mandarin segments and place some on the pineapple slices. Sprinkle the remaining shallots, garlic and peanuts over the top.

Finish with coriander then chilli julienne.

David Thompson

Photo©Sam Bailey