Roasted Pork Belly with Ras  el Hanout Apple Sauce and Fennel and Mint Salad

Kelly Fouche
Kelly Fouche @cook_16791374
Cape Town

My Love Language is food - the obsessing about the perfect meal, the cooking of it and the serving of it to my loved ones. When my husband turned 40, I needed to show him how much I love him, by making the perfect meal for him. An episode of Australian MKR with The Spice Boys (Ibby and Romel) inspired this meal. I didn't quite get the crackling right, but everything else was a success.

Roasted Pork Belly with Ras  el Hanout Apple Sauce and Fennel and Mint Salad

My Love Language is food - the obsessing about the perfect meal, the cooking of it and the serving of it to my loved ones. When my husband turned 40, I needed to show him how much I love him, by making the perfect meal for him. An episode of Australian MKR with The Spice Boys (Ibby and Romel) inspired this meal. I didn't quite get the crackling right, but everything else was a success.

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Ingredients

4 servings
  1. Pork
  2. 1.4 kgboneless pork belly, rind scored
  3. 2 tbsolive oil
  4. 2 tbsRas el Hanout spice
  5. 1 tbssalt
  6. 1onion, chopped
  7. 2carrots, chopped
  8. 2 stickscelery, chopped
  9. 6garlic cloves, bruised
  10. 2 tbsground fennel
  11. 300 mlwhite wine
  12. 8peppercorns
  13. 3bay leaves
  14. 1 Lchicken stock
  15. Apple sauce
  16. 4apples, peeled, cored, chopped
  17. 3 tbscaster sugar
  18. 2 tbswater
  19. 2 tspRas el Hanout
  20. Carrot puree
  21. 1 kgcarrots, peeled
  22. 100 gcream
  23. 50 gbutter
  24. Fennel & mint salad
  25. 60 mlolive oil
  26. 2 tbslemon juice
  27. 6baby fennel, thinly sliced
  28. 1/2 bunchmint leaves
  29. 4radishes, thinly sliced

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1

    The night before, place the pork in a dish and sprinkle the rind with salt. Place on the bottom of the shelf of the fridge, uncovered, overnight. This should help draw out the moisture and dry out the rind to make delicious crackling.

  2. 2

    When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180C. Take the pork out of the fridge and bring to room temperature. Pat it dry and rub with oil, Ras el Hanout and salt.

  3. 3

    Place the remaining ingredients - chopped carrots, chopped onion, chopped celery, bruised garlic, ground fennel, white wine, peppercorns, bay leaves, chicken stock - in a big, deep roasting dish. Place the pork, rind-side up on the veg, making sure not to get the rind wet. Roast for 2.5 hours.

  4. 4

    For the carrot puree, place the carrots in a pot of cold seasoned water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until soft. Drain.

  5. 5

    Return carrots to pot, add the butter, cream, salt and pepper and blitz with stick blender until smooth. Set aside.

  6. 6

    To make the apple sauce, place all the ingredients - peeled cored chopped apples, castor sugar, water and Ras al Hanout - in a small pot over low heat. Cook, covered until soft and thick, stirring occasionally. Season and blitz with a stick blender until smooth.

  7. 7

    To make the salad, combine the fennel, mint and radishes. Put the oil and the lemon juice and salt and pepper in a jar and shake until emulsified. Combine all salad ingredients and set aside.

  8. 8

    When the pork is soft and ready, turn the oven to grill and let the crackling begin. If that doesn't work, remove the rind serve without crackling.

  9. 9

    Cut the pork into rectangular pieces and serve with the veg from the roasting pan, carrot puree, apple sauce and salad. Enjoy!

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Kelly Fouche
Kelly Fouche @cook_16791374
on
Cape Town
A lover of food. Passionate about making healthy, heart-happy meals for those who make my heart happy.
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