Afelia with Bulgur Pilaf and Yogurt

Here is my adaptation of this fabulous Cypriot recipe that is usually made with lean boneless pork and red wine, and sometimes potatoes and mushrooms too. For summer I tend to favour using pork fillet and white wine as it makes for an altogether lighter version and, as an added bonus, requires much less cooking time. Afelia is traditionally served with a Bulgur Pilaf and yogurt, which I find a welcome change from the ubiquitous rice and salad. If you've never had bulgar perhaps this will inspire you to give it a try.

Apart from the time needed for marinading the pork, this is a quite a quick recipe to make. I wouldn't label it "Quick Midweek", because it does need a bit more time and effort than that, but nevertheless it's something you can rustle up without much effort. Definitely a keeper recipe to bring out now and then. It's not very colourful on the plate, so I add a garnish of some kind to liven up the look of it, but I find the satisfying tastiness of it more than makes up for that minor drawback!

Now where's Anna, my Cypriot friend, to comment on my hopefully not too widely off the mark version of one of her country's best-known traditional recipes?

Afelia with Bulgar Pilaf and Yogurt - Serves 3-4

for the Afelia:
600g pork fillet, trimmed and cut into small cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
juice of one lemon
250ml dry white wine, or dry cider, divided
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon
2 heaped tsp of coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 plump clove of garlic, lightly crushed
1 or 2 bay leaves
Natural, unsweetened yogurt for serving

for the Bulgur Pilaf:
1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
25g vermicelli
1 cup of bulgur, fine or coarse grade
2 cups hot chicken broth, made with a stock cube is fine
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the cubes of pork in a bowl, season with salt and pepper. Now add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of one lemon, 2 tablespoons of the white wine, or cider, the powdered cinnamon, the coriander seeds and the clove of garlic. Mix everything well together, cover, and put in the refrigerator to marinade for anything up to 24 hours.

Take the meat out of the refrigerator about half an hour before you plan to start cooking. Drain the meat, reserving the marinade. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a fairly deep and wide frying pan or casserole, when it is hot add the cubes of pork and cook over a medium heat, keeping everything on the move, until the meat has slightly browned. Add the rest of the wine or cider, the marinade, and the bay leaves. Now let everything gently bubble away, uncovered, for about 20 minutes until the meat is cooked and the sauce has reduced somewhat.

Whilst the Afelia is simmering get on with the Bulgur Pilaf. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and sauté the onion for a couple of minutes until it softens and turns translucent. Stir in the vermicelli, crushing the fine strands of pasta a little with your hands as you do so, and gently cook together with the onion for a minute or two until slicked with the oil. Now add the bulgur and stir everything around until this too has a light coating of oil and you start to smell the nuttiness of the grain. Pour over the hot stock, season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring up to the boil. Cover with a tightly-fitting lid and, turning the heat to low (if your hob is ferociously hot you may need to use a diffuser under the pan), let gently simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the stock is absorbed and the grain is cooked. Now turn off the flame, fluff the grain up carefully with a fork, lay a clean tea towel over the top of the pan (to absorb any excess moisture) and replace the lid. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Give the yogurt a good stir and either serve it separately or drizzle it over the Afelia, as you are so inclined.

Yum, yum, yum!