Name: Roast pork, date and witlof salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 800 gm piece boneless pork belly, skin thinly scored; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tbsp olive oil; shaved Parmesan, to serve; Date & witlof salad; 6 pitted dates, thinly sliced; 2 witlof, leaves separated; 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; ½ white onion, thinly sliced; 6 anchovy fillets, torn; 35 gm (¼ cup) roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Roast pork, date and witlof salad

A salad with extra crackle that’s a balance of sweet, bitter and rich. Begin this recipe a day ahead to dry the pork skin.

Serves 4

Prep

20M

Cook

1H 45M

Total

2H 5M

Ingredients

800 gm piece boneless pork belly, skin thinly scored

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp olive oil

shaved Parmesan, to serve

Date & witlof salad

6 pitted dates, thinly sliced

2 witlof, leaves separated

1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ white onion, thinly sliced

6 anchovy fillets, torn

35 gm (¼ cup) roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Method

1.Place pork skin-side up on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate, uncovered, for skin to dry out (overnight).

2.Preheat oven to 220°C. Coarsely grind fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle, then transfer to a bowl with 2 tsp salt flakes. Place pork skin-side up on a wire rack over the sink, then pour boiling water over the skin. Pat dry, drizzle with oil and rub in fennel mixture. Place in a roasting pan lined with baking paper, roast until crackling starts to form (30 minutes), then reduce heat to 160°C and roast until skin is deep golden and juices run clear when pork is pierced with a skewer (1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes). Remove pork from pan and rest for 15 minutes.

3.For date and witlof salad, toss ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.

4.Remove pork crackling and break into small pieces. Remove excess fat from pork, then cut into thin slices. Top with salad, crackling and parmesan to serve.