Pork belly with honey and thyme

Saturday 2nd May 2009, 10:58AM BST.

Head chef Michel Nijsten, at the Albright Hussey, near Shrewsbury, has given us this recipe. He’s a huge fan of belly pork and says this can be served as a special occasion dinner.

This is the most expensive recipe we’ve printed during our Credit Munch campaign, but we figured you’d all be looking for a real treat, and this delivers sensational flavours, as well as looking brilliant.

It is gourmet, restaurant quality food that would cost at least eight times more in any of the county’s gastropubs or other eateries.

Serves four people at a cost of £6.86 – £1.71 per portion.

Ingredients

1kg piece belly of pork, skin on
400 gr mash potatoes
2 cloves garlic
100 gr black pudding
15gr fresh ginger
6 medium shallots cut in half
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
500 ml dry white wine
6 sprigs thyme
10 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Water to cover
3 tablespoon honey
Marldon sea salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Place the shallots and carrots in a deep roasting tray with garlic, ginger and bay leafs or a very deep large pan. Add the wine, peppercorns, pork belly and sprinkle with thyme and a little salt, then cover with cold water. Place the lid on the pot or place a sheet of tin foil over the roasting tin to cover.

2. Place in the oven to slowly braise for between four and five hours, until the bones can easily be separated from the meat. Remove from the oven and allow to rest and cool in the cooking liquid. Turn up the oven to 220C/430F/Gas 7.

3. When the pork belly is cooled, drain off the cooking liquid. Remove the top layer of skin, leaving exposed a very thin layer of fat on the meat. Reduce the liquid and pass through a sieve. Using a sharp knife, score a diamond shape into the fat and rub in the honey.

4. Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the meat is hot through and golden in colour and slightly crispy on top.

5. Heat the mash and black pudding and mix together, reduce cooking liquid until syrupy and add a little butter till a creamy buttery sauce.

6. Sprinkle with a little Maldon salt and coarsely ground black pepper on the pork belly and divide into 4 pieces. Put mash on to plate just off-centre, nestle the belly pork onto it and dress with the sauce. Broccoli spears go brilliantly with this.