Main meals
Roast pork belly with root vegetables N OT H I N G Q U I T E C O M PA R E S W I T H T H E R I C H F L AVO U R O F P O R K B E L LY, PA R T I C U L A R LY W H E N I T I S S LOW LY R OA S T E D I N T H E OV E N U N T I L T E N D E R W I T H A C R I S P L AY E R O F C R AC K L I N G .
1 small swede, weighing about 500g
01
1 onion
P reheat the oven to 220°C. Cut the vegetables into 2cm cubes and stir them with the oil in a roasting pan until evenly coated. Pour in 300ml water.
1 parsnip 2 carrots
02
1 tbsp olive oil 1.5kg piece pork belly, well scored 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
03
sea salt flakes and ground black pepper
04
05
06
S prinkle the pork rind with thyme, salt and pepper, rubbing them well into the scored slashes. Place the pork on top of the vegetables with the skin side uppermost. P ut the pork and vegetables into the hot oven and cook for 30 minutes, by which time the liquid will have almost evaporated to leave a golden crust in the bottom of the pan. A dd 600ml cold water to the vegetables in the pan. Reduce the oven to 180°C, and cook for 1½ hours, or until the pork is tender and the juices run clear when the centre of the meat is pierced with a sharp knife. Check during the final 30 minutes to make sure the liquid does not dry up completely, adding a little extra water if necessary. I f the crackling is not yet crisp enough, increase the oven temperature to 220°C and continue cooking for another 10–20 minutes, adding extra water if necessary. W ith a sharp knife, slice off the crackling. Serve it with thick slices of the pork, some vegetables and the golden juices spooned over.
SERVES 4-6 NUTRITIONALS Energy 1014kcal/4194kJ; Protein 39.5g; Carbohydrate 9.4g, of which sugars 7.3g; Fat 91.2g, of which saturates 33.1g; Cholesterol 180mg; Calcium 81mg; Fibre 3.3g; Sodium 202mg.
120 everyday gourmet
everyday gourmet 121