slow-roast belly of PORK with onion gravy

This is a very fashionable recipe at the moment – all the restaurants are serving it! For a modern variation, rub some Chinese five-spice powder into the skin before crisping it up at the end.

SERVES 6

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon oil

1.2kg (2½ lb) boned belly of pork, skin scored by the butcher

sea salt

2 – 3 tablespoons flour

600ml (1 pint) stock

1 tablespoon apple jelly or redcurrant jelly

dash of gravy browning

Put the onion and oil in the base of a small roasting tin. Put a small grill rack on top and place the belly, skin side up, on the rack. Rub the sea salt into the scored skin.

The pork belly can be prepared to this point and kept in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. It cannot be frozen.

Slow-roast the pork in an oven preheated to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3 for about 2 – 2½ hours. Turn up the heat to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7 and roast for about 30 – 40 minutes more, or until the skin has become crisp and the onions have turned golden brown. (Keep an eye on the onion – if it starts to catch and burn at any point, then tuck it under the pork.) Transfer the belly to a plate to rest while you make the gravy.

Add the flour to the onion and fat in the bottom of the tin and mix together with a wooden spoon. Put the tin on the hob and blend in the stock and jelly over a medium heat. Bring up to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper, and add a dash of gravy browning if you like a darker gravy.

Remove the crackling from the top of the roast and slice the pork. Snip the crackling into pieces and arrange pork and crackling on a plate. Serve with the gravy and some mashed sweet potatoes.

AGA COOKING Slow-roast the belly in the simmering oven for about 4 hours. Transfer to the top of the roasting oven for a further 30 minutes, until the skin is crisp and crackling.