Pork, pumpkin & peashoot stirfry

The other day I was in the super-market and saw peashoots. I straight away thought of Heather's wonderful-looking pork dish from a couple of weeks back (although I did get sidetracked by memories of a delicious Chinese peashoot in crab sauce).

In the usual way of these things it ended up nothing like hers (and a good deal fussier than I usually like a stirfry), but I was happy with it.

Pork, Pumpkin & Peashoot Stirfry

Cut half a butternut pumpkin into small pieces, rub with a little olive oil. Add a lot of whole cloves of garlic. Roast at about 180C for 30 minutes or until cooked through and starting to get a toasted edge.

While the pumpkin is roasting, marinate chunks of aubergine (optional, but I had a lovely violet and white streaked one that a friend brought me from France that wanted using) and thin slivers of pork loin in a combination of yellow bean paste, shao xing wine, soy sauce & red rice vinegar.

Soak a few dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water, drain and slice finely.

When the pumpkin is very nearly done, drain the pork & aubergine, reserving the marinade. Stirfry in hot oil with a couple of sliced chillis, then add the sliced shiitake, the pumpkin and garlic, a good handful of sugar snap peas and some peashoots. Add a bit of sugar and some cornflour to the reserved marinade and pour into the pan, stirring to cover everything with the sauce, which will boil and thicken rapidly. Stir through coriander leaves and sliced spring onions.

Strangely, the aubergine in yellow bean marinade tasted like banana.

If/when I do this again I'd use basil instead of coriander.