Rolled Pork Belly with Apple, Fennel and White Onion Salad

Cook Time 2 to 3 hours (+ brining, refrigerating and resting)

Servings 6

Ingredients

Brine

8L water

1 ½ cups salt

1 garlic bulb, halved

8 bay leaves

½ bunch thyme

25g fennel seeds

25g coriander seeds

25g white peppercorns

10g mustard seeds

Pork Belly

2kg pork belly

Stock

Pork bones

500ml water

Caramelised Onion Puree

500ml pork stock

4 brown onions

150ml cream

Apple, Fennel and White onion salad

2 granny smith apples, sliced using mandoline

1 fennel bulb, sliced

2 white onions

½ bunch chervil

1 tbsp seeded mustard

50ml apple cider vinegar

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

Method

To prepare the brine, bring all ingredients to boil. Let cool then refrigerate.

Bone out the pork belly, keeping the bones for later. Submerge in cooled brine and leave in the fridge for 2 hours.

Pat belly dry, score skin, roll and truss. Put back in fridge uncovered to dry out skin.

Preheat oven to 200°C and place pork on rack with a small amount of water in pan. Roast for 30 minutes until skin is crisp. Turn down to 130°C and cook for a further 1½ hours. Take out and rest for 30

minutes.

Roast pork bones in oven, put in a pot with water and vegetables to make stock. Cook for 1 hour and strain. Slice onions and caramelise. Add stock and reduce, add the cream and reduce. Blend until velvet and smooth.

For the salad, mix vinegar, mustard and extra virgin olive oil to make vinaigrette. Slice fennel, white onion and apples on a mandoline. Mix with chervil and dress.

Place the onion puree on the plate, top with a slice of roast pork and a large spoonful of salad.