Crispy Pork Belly with Kombu and Fennel
Kombu Kelp Seaweed Flakes 50g Pouch - add to basket
The sweet-salty notes of pork paired with savoury Kombu makes for a satisfying dish.
Serves 6
TIME 40 MINS PREP, 3 hours cooking
EASY
Pork and seaweed are perfect umami partners; a fine culinary example of the sum of the parts making the whole so much greater.
The combination of warm, meltingly soft meat, served on a bed of simple apple chutney, will make this an instant family favourite. Adapted from The Seaweed Cookbook by Xa Milne, this recipe is best enjoyed with Furikake slaw for a contrasting crunch.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp Kombu kelp
- 1kg Specially Selected Pork belly, skin on
- 2 tbsp good quality olive oil
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, ground
- 4 cloves of garlic, ground to a paste with 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 4 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
- 4 onions, quartered
- 1 tbsp white wine, cider, or water
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to its highest temperature, at least 200C. The oven needs to be really hot at the start so that the pork skin will blister and the crackling will be firm, ensuring tasty crispiness.
- Rub the fennel, Kombu and garlic over the flesh-side of the pork belly with half the olive oil, then squeeze the lemon over it.
- Pat the skin side with a paper towel until very dry. Sprinkle the salt onto the skin and leave for 20 minutes to dry further.
- Put the apple and onion chunks into a large roasting dish, drizzle over the remaining olive oil and place the pork belly on top, skin-side up.
- Put on the top shelf of the very hot oven and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 180C and continue cooking for 2-3 hours, until the meat is falling apart. After an hour, add the liquid (wine, cider or water) to prevent the fatty juices from burning.
- Serve on warmed floury rolls, with a dollop of apple chutney on top of the meat.
