This recipe is not for the faint heartened! It takes overnight preparation and 3 hours of tender roasting care to make the perfect crackling; not to mention the calories that you will be putting on. But hey, life is too short to waste it on bad tasting calories so make sure it is really good before biting into it. This slow roasted pork belly is perfect for Sunday family roast or cut and served in individual portions for a fine dining experience at home. Cooked this for the Chiu family dinner on Sunday and it seemed to have pleased everyone in the family especially my father-in-law who gave a reassuring nod of approval after he has tasted it...I think!
At a decent restaurant, a small portion of this delicious and sinful piece of pork belly will set you back $25-$38. I bought 1 kg of pork belly from a good butcher for only $20. Now on with the recipe!
Preparation
1. Score the skin of the pork belly into cubes (1kg serves 6 persons)
2. Season whole pork belly thoroughly with salt & pepper.
3. Make sure you massage salt & pepper into the cracks that you have scored on the pork belly skin
4. Use hairdryer (yes, a hairdryer!) to blow dry the skin for 15-20mins
5. Set aside on a plate, uncovered & leave it in the fridge for min 6 hours or better still, overnight
Roasting
6. Slice 3 bulbs of garlic into halves & place them in a roasting tray
7. Lay handful of thyme on halved garlic bulbs & drizzle with olive oil
8. Remove pork belly from fridge, rub olive oil all over & place it on top of garlic bulbs & herbs
9. Heat oven to 250C & shove pork belly in for 30-40mins
10. Remove pork belly & pour 2 glasses of white wine into tray. Be careful not to splatter onto skin
11. Turn oven down to 170C & roast for another 2 hours
12. Turn the oven back up to 250C to perfect the crackling for 15mins
13. Remove pork belly & set aside
Sauce
14. Remove any charred bits & deglaze the roasting pan with sherry vinegar
15. Add a cup of chicken stock & bring it to a boil
16. Add teaspoon of creme fraiche to thicken the sauce
The key to perfectly crisp pork crackling is to keep the pork belly skin as dry as possible and hence the need for the hairdryer and overnight refrigeration treatment. This is not a dish that you would eat often but if you do try it, make sure the calories are worth it! Serving it on a bed or caramelised onions and carrots will help to mitigate the guilt a bit. Enjoy and cook with lots of love! Have a super blessed long weekend!
Prep time: 30mins Cook time: 3hrs Level: Tok Kong!
Just came back from one of my favourite places on earth and saw in real life one of marine world's most elusive animal; the hammerhead shark! What a privilege! Things from nature are always best when it is simple. Like good food, it is always best to let the fresh produce impress your family and friends. Most restaurants tend to over complicate a good plate of pasta; sometimes I guess to justify the hefty price tag for it. To me, a delicious plate of pasta is simply made with fresh produce, lightly seasoned and allows the ingredients to show their true worth. It is not complicated, very fresh and surprisingly easy to make. Just made this pasta for lunch and is one of my favourites when I just want a simple plate of home made goodness!
1. Cook spaghetti in boling salted water & olive oil for 11mins till al dente
2. Saute chopped 1 garlic, 1/4 red onion, 1/4 chile & 3 anchovies for 2mins in hot pan of olive oil
3. Add sliced black olives, capers, cherry tomatoes & shrimps
4. Season with salt & pepper. Stir for a few more mins.
5. Toss with spaghetti and serve with chopped sweet basil
6. Drizzle with good quality olive oil & serve
Prep time: 15mins Cook time: 15mins Level: Confirm can!
Back from London and finally recovered from the horrible jet lag and the crab in the office. To get myself into the cooking mood again, I decided to do something simple today. Something which I could keep in the freezer for the coming weeks to spruce up a plate of pasta or some pizzas. Nothing fancy, just a whole pot of home made goodness.
When I first started cooking pasta, I would buy ready made pasta sauce from the supermarkets, cook the pasta, add some meat and pour in the sauce. It was subsistence cooking that satisfied my cravings for pasta. After I learnt to make my own pasta sauce, I never looked back and bought another can of ready made pasta sauce ever! There is just so much more complexity and goodness in homemade pasta sauce than even the most expensive ready made ones that you can buy from supermarkets!
It is simple and easy to make. Freeze it and it is good for use for 14 days on any pasta or pizza night out with family and friends.
1. Stir fry handful of chopped garlic till golden brown in pot of olive oil
2. Add 1 box (250gm) cherry tomatoes & stir fry for 2mins
3. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes & 1 can of tomato puree
4. Cover pot and simmer for 1 hr. Stir every 15-20mins to prevent burning
5. Season with salt & pepper when cherry tomatoes have turned soft
6. Add two & a half tablespoons of sugar to balance tartness
7. Add roughly chopped sweet basil in sauce to finish
If you can, use a cast iron pot as they are really good in sealing all the rich flavours in. If not, a regular metal pot will do just fine. I cooked this sauce with a heavy Le Creuset french oven that Wifey carried all the way from Bicester Village into central London all by herself as my birthday present! Respect and lots of love!
Prep time: 15mins Cook time: 70mins Level: Steady lah!
