This week’s Kitchen Inspiration takes us inside the innovative test kitchen of the Flavorful World, a food, wine & spirits blog dedicated to exploring culinary adventures through photos, interviews, recipes, restaurant/product reviews, and much more!

It was an honour to be interviewed earlier this year as part of the blog’s monthly series on “Food Adventurer Queries” (if you’re interested, you can have a read here). And now I’m really pleased in turn to have the chance to feature the man behind Flavorful’s curtains – Anthony Beal.

He’s cooked up quite the storm for you guys, drawing on his formidable wine expertise  to suggest some excellent pairings to go with too. Bon appetit!

Plantain-Chorizo Medallions

• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups water (or enough to cover the plantains in a pot)
• 1 large or two medium-sized green plantains
• 2 spicy chorizo
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 6 cloves garlic
• vegetable oil

1. Add cinnamon stick and water to pot and bring to a boil.
2. Peel plantains and slice into 1/2-inch discs. Add to boiling water and boil 20 minutes.
3. Cook chorizo until done, then dice into 0.5-inch cubes.
4. Roast peeled garlic cloves in oven or toaster oven for 2o minutes, then dice.
5. Remove plantains from water and transfer to bowl. Reserve 2-4 tablespoons of boiled liquid.
6. Mash plantains with diced garlic, black pepper, salt, and coconut milk. Mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. If mixture is too dry, add 1 tablespoon at a time of reserved liquid, stirring between spoonfuls until mixture holds together enough to form small medallions.
7. To a skillet over medium heat, add just enough vegetable oil to cover its bottom.
8. Form 2.5 to 3-inch medallions and fry on both sides until golden brown with crisp edges (about 3 minutes per side) Serve hot.

Earl Grey Glazed Pork Belly

• 1 lb. pork belly, sliced 0.25-0.75
• 3/4 cup Earl Grey tea
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 dash chili powder

1. Cut pork belly into pieces about 3 inches in length.
2. Steep 1 Earl Grey teabag in 6 oz. hot water. Add brown sugar, chili powder, salt and stir.
3. In skillet over medium heat, fry pork belly on each side until golden brown and crisp at edges. Pour off excess oil as necessary during cooking.
4. Remove cooked pork belly from skillet and pour out any excess oil (or wipe away using paper towels. Hold paper towels with oven mitt to avoid getting burned).
5. Add tea mixture to skillet over high heat and bring to boil. Once it boils, add pork belly pieces, turning each piece over to ensure it gets fully immersed and coated on both sides.
6. Move pork belly pieces around skillet with a wooden spoon, turning occasionally as tea glaze thickens and reduces. When consistency reaches thickness enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from heat. Transfer pork belly pieces to a plate or cooling rack in a single layer. Serve still warm.