Recipe by Serin Aubrey of Dartmouth Fine Foods
Porchetta with Grilled Carrot, Fennel and Courgette Salad.
This tasty summer recipe is just perfect for alfresco dining and a great alternative to a Sunday roast or barbecue!
Ingredients
Serves 6 – 8
- 2kg Pork Belly
- 750g Minced Pork Shoulder
- 4 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
- 2 Table Spoons Toasted Fennel Seeds Ground
- 2 Table Spoons Dried Oregano
- 1/3 Cup Fresh Sage Leaves Chopped
- Grated Zest of 2 Lemons
- Sea Salt and Ground Pepper
- 2 cups Apple Juice
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- 2 Bay Leaves
For the Salad
- 500g Carrots
- 500g Fennel Bulbs
- 500g Courgette
- ½ cup Torn Mint
- ½ cup Torn Parsley
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 Teaspoon Toasted Fennel Seeds Ground
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Method
When purchasing your belly pork from a butcher ask him to remove the skin.
The skin can be cooked at 200 degrees C with a light salt seasoning to make crackling.
Trim any large pieces of fat from the belly, next open the belly up by using a sharp knife to cut straight through the middle length ways, but not right through, this will double the size you have to work with.
Combine the mince with the Garlic, Fennel, Oregano, Sage, Lemon Zest and a pinch of Salt and Pepper, mix well. Spread the stuffing mix over the flat belly, roll the belly tightly and tie with Butchers twine. You have now prepared your Porchetta, and this can be done up to 48 hours in advance.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C.
Season the Porchetta well with Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper, then sear in a large frying pan until brown all over.
Once seared, place in a baking tray with sides and add the Apple Juice, Chicken Stock and Bay Leaves, cover with foil.
Pop in the oven for 30mins then reduce the heat to 150 degrees C for around 2 hours, the Porchetta is ready when it is tender right the way trough.
To Prepare the Salad
Peel and cut the carrots into quarters lengthways, slice the Courgette into rounds and slice the fennel straight through into discs, setting aside any fronds for garnish in the salad. Heat a griddle pan, toss the veg one at a time through a bowel with some olive oil and seasoning then grill. Let everything take on colour, the carrot and fennel should have crunch and the courgette be soft. Add the herbs, lemon juice, ground fennel and season to taste.
Serve the Porchetta with the warm salad and a little of the cooking juice from the meat, and enjoy!
