FEATURE RECIPE
Rolled pork belly with pickled peaches and barberries

Rolled pork belly with pickled peaches and barberries

You will need to begin this recipe 3 days ahead.

Serves 10

Cooking Time Prep time 1 hr 30 mins, cook 1 hr 55 mins (plus pickling)



70 ml   olive oil
1   onion, finely chopped
3 cloves   garlic, finely chopped
1   egg yolk
1 tsp   ground allspice
2 tbsp   brandy
1 tbsp   thyme leaves
1 tbsp   finely chopped sage leaves
1½ tbsp   pink peppercorns
800 gm   minced lean pork
2 kg piece   boneless pork belly, skin on, from thin end of belly
1   lemon, juice only
Pickled peaches and barberries
6 (ripe, but firm)   peaches, scored
250 ml (1 cup)   red wine vinegar
250 ml (1 cup)   white wine vinegar
220 gm (1 cup)   caster sugar
2 tsp   sea salt
8   cloves
1   cinnamon quill, broken in half
2   fresh bay leaves
50 gm   dried barberries (see note)


1 For pickled peaches, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add peaches and cook for 2 minutes or until skin peels away from flesh. Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel, cut into wedges and place in a jar. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook for 1 minute, pour over peaches and set aside until cool. Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days ahead.
2 Heat 1½ tbsp olive oil in a saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook over low-medium heat for 6 minutes or until soft, then cool. In a bowl, combine egg yolk, allspice, brandy, thyme, sage, pink peppercorns and minced pork. Add onion mixture, stir to combine and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3 Preheat oven to 250C. Using a long, sharp knife and starting from the centre of the pork belly with the skin side down, slice horizontally through the centre of the meat towards the longest sides until almost all the way through, then open meat outwards to butterfly. Place pork mixture along the belly in a log shape and starting with the widest side to the mince, roll over to completely enclose, then tie at intervals with kitchen string to secure. Using a very sharp, small knife, score skin crossways at 1cm intervals, then transfer to a roasting pan. Rub skin liberally with fine sea salt, pour lemon juice over and brush with remaining oil. Bake in centre of oven for 20-30 minutes or until skin begins to crackle, then reduce heat to 170C and cook for another 1¼ hours. Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest in a warm place for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, drain pan juices and stand for 10 minutes, skim oil from surface and discard.
4 To serve, untie pork and slice in between scored crackling. Arrange on a serving platter, drizzle with pan juices and serve with pickled peaches and barberries to the side.

Note Dried barberries are available from David Jones Food Halls or online from Pariya Foods.

RECIPE Lisa Featherby PHOTOGRAPHY Petrina Tinslay STYLING Lisa Featherby and Elodie Rambaud

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