Mi Cushina cu Jeffrey

Sopi Pampuna with Pan Bati
Serves
4
Time
45 minutes
Ingredients

For the Sopi Pampuna

  • ½ pumpkin, cut into pieces
  • 3 large potatoes, cut into pieces
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup Coburn Farms heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp Boni vegetable oil (sunflower oil)
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 1 grated carrot
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • ½ red and ½ green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 2 packs pork belly
  • 1 pack College Inn Garden vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch or flour (mixed with water)
  • Mixed herbs, paprika, black pepper, and salt to taste

For the Pan Bati

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup Iberia yellow cornmeal
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2½ cups water
  • Boni Sunflower oil (for frying)
Directions
  1. Prepare the soup base
    • In a large pot, boil the pumpkin, potatoes, and cinnamon stick until soft.
    • Remove the cinnamon stick and the pumpkin.
    • Mash the pumpkins separately.
    • Set the potatoes aside.
  2. Sauté the aromatics
    • In a separate pan, heat the oil.
    • Fry the pork belly until partially cooked then remove and set aside.
    • In the same pan, add the onion, carrot, celery, bell peppers, green onions, and garlic and stir to avoid burning.
    • Sauté the vegetables until fragrant then add herbs, paprika, black pepper and salt.
    • Stir well and set aside.
  3. Cook the meat
    • Finish the pork by steaming or adding it to the sautéed vegetables until fully cooked.
    • Cut the cooked pork into pieces. 
  4. Combine the soup ingredients
    • In a pot, add the mashed pumpkin and vegetable broth and stir well.
    • Add the pork and vegetables to the broth and mix everything together.
  5. Finish the soup
    • Mix cornstarch or flour with water into a slurry.
    • Add the cornstarch slurry and stir well to slightly thicken the soup.
    • Add heavy cream and stir gently.
    • Let simmer for a few more minutes and adjust seasoning to taste.
  6. Make the batter for Pan Bati
    • In a bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt.
    • Add the eggs milk and water to the bowl and mix well to avoid clumps.
    • In a pan, heat a little oil.
    • Pour small portions of the batter into the pan and fry until golden, flipping half way.
  7. Plate and serve
    • Pour soup into a bowl and garnish with chopped green onion. 
    • Serve with Pan Bati on the side.