Roast Pork Belly, Sage and Onion Granny Smith

Step 1

1 Pre heat your oven to 170ᵒC Gas 3

1 Score the skin of the pork belly with a Stanley knife and pat dry with kitchen paper

2 With the pork laid out flat, sprinkle the fine salt over the skin. Make sure the salt gets into the scored slits. Leave for about 30 minutes then using kitchen paper, dry the skin completely

3 Rub the skin all over with olive oil, again getting into the scored areas. Sprinkle all over with a good amount of ground sea salt

1 Core the apples, leave the skins on and cut in half horizontally. Rub all over with a light coating of oil

2 Tip the onion wedges into a roasting tray a bit larger than your pork belly. Add the thyme, sage leaves and a good splash of olive oil. Mix together with your hands and season well

4 Season the apples lightly and place them cut side up amongst the onions and herbs. Place the pork belly on top, ensuring that it covers the apples

5 Slide the tray into the oven and cook for 1 hour. Turn up the oven to 200ᵒC Gas 6, roast for another 30 minutes or until the crackling is nice and crispy

6 Remove from the oven and rest for about 15 minutes in a warm place

7 To serve, carefully spoon one apple half onto each plate. Give the onions and herbs a mix, removing the stalks and place a dollop of the stuffing onto the apple half. Remove the crackling and cut into bite sized chunks. Carve the meat across the grain, serve alongside the stuffed apple with some crackling