Ocean Pearls (makes 10 balls or 20 appetizers)

ocean pearls

ocean pearls

Recently I made about 2 pounds of this filling, consisting mainly of pork, periwinkles, and seaweed. I decided to use some to form little balls to make appetizers and call these ocean pearls. The making of this filling requires some work and patience, especially removing these small snails from their shells. This time I got a few friends to try including a neighbor who thinks I can make road kill taste good. Fortunately for me they all seem to think these appetizers were delicious! 

Form the Periwinkle-Pork-Seaweed Filling
into approximately 1-inch balls

Roll each ball in panko to coat

Either deep fry the balls or pan fry them in hot oil until they are golden brown

Ocean Pearls (makes 10 balls or 20 appetizers)

Ingredients:

About 1/2 of the recipe for Periwinkle-Pork-Seaweed Filling
1 egg (room temperature), cracked it into a small bowl, stirred with a fork
About 1/2 cup honey panko, poured it on a plate
Oil for frying

Method:

1) Form the Periwinkle-Pork-Seaweed Filling into approximately 1-inch balls.
2) Dip each ball into the egg mixture, remove excess egg. Roll it in panko to coat.
3) Either deep fry the balls or pan fry them in hot oil until they are golden brown (about 5-7 minutes for pan fry). Once completed cut all of them in half to yield 20 appetizers.

*Pan fry will take longer cooking time. Keep a splatter guard on the pan to contain the oil. You may check for doneness by cutting one in half. The pork should not be pink once cooked but the cooked bacon may look pink.

sauteed baby kale

Sauteed Baby Kale

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
5 oz fresh baby kale
A pinch of salt

Method:

Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add oil once the pan is hot. Add kale and saute until the kale is wilted. Add salt and remove from heat. Cooking time should be only a few minutes.

*If you have leftover kale you can use it for another meal.

1 French Bread

Cut the bread in half then into 2 inch pieces and lightly toast.

*Depend on the length of your bread you may need more than one. The one I got at my local market was about 1 1/2 foot long. 

ocean pearls

Ocean Pearls Assembly

Use a little mayonnaise to spread on the toast, add some Sauteed Baby Kale (however little or much you prefer), and add half of the Ocean Pearls. May decorate your plate with some cooked seaweed if you have any.

*If you prefer a little spicy mix the mayonnaise with some Sriracha sauce. Spread a little on the toasts and then add a little dollop of it or a drizzle on top.