Porchetta with Sage and Hazelnuts with Salt and Vinegar Potatoes

Porchetta is a dramatic dish presenting a beautiful golden roll of crisp skinned, boneless pork that looks impressive on the plate. The breadcrumbs are optional but do absorb a lot of the cooking juices, giving a juicer piece of pork. The fat rendered from the pork is used to roast crisp, crunchy and tasty potatoes. Great with fermented cabbage, coleslaw or other brassicas serve with a medium bodied red wine, such as tempranillo or sangiovese.

Ingredients

2 kg Brooklands Free Range Pork Belly 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt 1 Teaspoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper 5 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped 8 Fresh Sage Leaves Finely Chopped 1 Slice Sourdough Bread, crumbed

100G Roasted Hazelnuts, Ground Extra Virgin Olive Oil Extra Smoked Salt 16 Kipfler Potatoes 3/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar 3 Tablespoons Cooking Salt

Method

Start preparing the porchetta at least 12-14 hours before you wish to serve (or the night before). Begin by placing the pork belly skin down and scoring the flesh with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern. This stops the porchetta from twisting as it roasts. Rub the flesh with the salt, pepper and garlic. Sprinkle over the sage, hazelnuts and breadcrumbs. Press down with palms of your hands. Roll the belly lengthways to make a tube-like shape. Using butcher’s string, truss the porchetta tightly. Place on a rack on a baking tray and place in the fridge uncovered for 8-12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan). Rub the skin with oil and a liberal pinch of smoked salt. Place the porchetta in the middle rack of the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 160°C (150°C fan) and roast for a further 2 hours. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and boil in a large saucepan with the vinegar and cooking salt for 20 minutes or until just cooked through. Drain. After 2 hours of roasting, carefully pour off the rendered pork fat into another roasting tray and place the potatoes in the fat. Return the porchetta and potatoes to the oven, turn to 240°C (220°C fan) and cook the porchetta for a further 10 minutes to crisp the skin. Remove and allow to rest in a warm place. Turn the potatoes. When browned, remove from the oven. Remove string from porchetta, slice and serve with potatoes.

Editor's Tip:

To get super crispy pork crackling, you need to remove all the moisture from the skin. Placing the pork belly in the fridge overnight is what helps dry the skin to give great crackle. If you don't have the time to do this, or feel that it still has moisture left on the skin, head to your bathroom and grab your hairdryer. Its an unusual kitchen tool but very handy! With the fan setting on low, gently wave the hairdryer over the pork skin. It can become quite mesmerising as you watch the moisture being drawn to the surface and then out of the rind. But stay focussed! To get drool-worthy crackling, you need to keep going until its as dry as a frog sunbaking in the Atacama Desert but you don't want to get any heat or hot air on the flesh. Just make sure you are blowing only on the rind itself. This weird but fun trick will practically guarantee the best crackling you have ever had!