Mexican Pork and Chicken Casserole

Cooking with Fruit, compiled by Mary-Lou Arnold,1985 Sydney

Mexican Pork and Chicken Casserole
 

500g lean pork loin, cut in cubes; 1 tblspn oil; 1 tblspn butter; 2.5kg chicken, jointed; 1 tblspn blanched almonds; 3 tspns sesame seeds; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 green capsicum, seeded and finely chopped; 1 cup tomato sauce; 4 cups chicken stock; 1 tblspn chilli powder; 2 tblspn honey; 3 tblspn dry white wine; ¼ tspn cinnamon; 3 whole cloves; 1 bay leaf; 1 tspn salt; 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced; 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced; 1 cup diced pineapple; 2 bananas; parsely to garnish
 

Brown pork in hot oil and butter. Remove with slotted spoon. Brown chicken in same pan. Remove. Lightly fry almonds and 1 tspn sesame seeds in same pan. Stir in onion and capsicum. Sauté a few minutes more. Add tomato sauce and puree in blender or food processor. Combine puréed mixture with stock, chilli, honey, wine, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and salt. Cook for 15 minutes. Strain. Return meat to pan, pour over sauce and simmer for 45 minutes. Add sweet potato and simmer for 15 minutes. Add apple and pineapple and simmer for further 10 – 15 minutes. Just before serving, slice bananas into stew and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds and finely chopped parsely.

Serves 8.