PORK BELLY & PLUMS

AvatarCaxton magazines staffRecipes

Cooking and baking with stone fruit guarantees tasty dishes. Here are a few of our favourites

INGREDIENTS

For the belly

  • 1.5kg free-range pork belly, skin scored
  • a decent glug of olive oil
  • a large pinch of Maldon salt
  • cracked black pepper to taste

For the marinade

  • a big chunk of ginger, grated
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
  • 5T soya sauce
  • 3T dry sherry
  • 2T rice wine vinegar
  • a big squeeze of honey
  • the juice of half an orange

For the plum sauce

  • olive oil
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
  • 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  • a big piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • a pinch of ground coriander
  • 1 star anise
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 handfuls of ripe plums, quartered and pitted
  • a big splash of soya sauce
  • 2 teaspoons of fish sauce
  • a small handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

METHOD

  1. Start by mixing all the marinade ingredients together, cover the belly liberally and marinate in the fridge overnight, turning it a couple of times.
  2. The next day, take the belly out of the fridge, allow to return to room temperature and preheat your oven to 220°C.
  3. Shake the excess marinade off the belly, dry the skin side with paper towel and rub the top and underside with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  4. Heat a large roasting tin in the oven and once hot, place the pork skin-side down and roast for about 15 minutes until the fat has caramelised (be careful not to burn it).
  5. Flip the belly around and reduce the oven heat to 160°C.
  6. Sprinkle the top of the belly with extra salt and slowly roast until you have crispy crackling.

To make the plum sauce

  1. Check that the belly is crisping up in the oven, then about 20 minutes before you think it’s going to be ready, start making the plum sauce.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a high heat, then add the onion, garlic, chilli, ginger, ground coriander and star anise.
  3. Once everything is sizzling away, add the sugar and stir until the onions have caramelised.
  4. Add the plum quarters, reduce the heat and simmer until the plums are soft – about 15 minutes.
  5. Take the onions and plum mixture off the heat then add the soya sauce, fish sauce and chopped coriander.
  6. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool.
  7. Serve the pork belly drizzled with the sauce and scattered with fresh coriander.