Roast Pork Belly with Sour Cherry Chutney Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 piece British free-range belly pork, bone in, around 1.5kg (3lb 6oz) – ask your butcher to score the skin for you

for the chutney:

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 x 350g jar Morello cherries in syrup
• 50ml (2fl oz) balsamic vinegar
• 50g (2oz) dried cherries
• 1 star anise

Method

1. To make the chutney, heat the oil in a saucepan and soften the onion over a low heat for 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, including the syrup from the cherries. Bring to the boil then simmer on a very low heat for 40 minutes. This will keep in a lidded plastic box in the fridge for a week – just reheat gently to serve.

2. To roast the pork, dry the skin thoroughly with kitchen towel. Rub 1 tablespoon of sea salt into the skin. Preheat the oven to 140 C, 120 C fan, 275 F, gas 1. Put the pork into a roasting tin and pour 200ml (7fl oz) cold water around it. Roast for four hours on the middle shelf. The meat will be tender and falling off the bone. Leave it in the fridge overnight if you want to serve it the next day.

3. To blast the crackling, preheat the oven to 220 C, 200 C fan, 425 F, gas 7. Roast for 20 to 35 minutes, depending if the meat is hot or cold. Cut into squares with a sharp knife and serve with the warmed chutney. This is great with mash or roast potatoes and a big bowl of steamed buttery cabbage.