My Sunday Roast. (I'm back... and this time it might be forever)

I'm back!

I'm not sure why i ever stopped posting on here, but  i have had a few, by which i really do mean a few (most probably fewer than twenty) people asking me what happened to this place. To them i would say "oh, that thing i really want to get back at it. I'll start it up again soon." Soon is now, and i intend to for all intents and purposes update this blog with three posts a week, that sounds reasonable doesn't it?

With all that out of the way i thought a recipe would be a good place to start, and what better place to start then with my twist on a Sunday Roast, because if anyone is harbouring a grudge over the fact that i've been away for so long (although i doubt anyone is) a Sunday Roast always makes everything better.

Vegetarians beware, there are no substitutes you can make in order to compensate for the moist pork belly with it's crispy crunchy crackling in this recipe...sorry. For my fellow meat eaters, this is a treat:

My Sunday Roast with a twist (Serves 4)
Cooking time 3 hrs
(Roast pork belly with fondant potatoes, stewed apples and gravy)

Ingredients

Pork
1 Pork belly joint (rind on, and scored)
1 Garlic Clove sliced
1 pack of Sage. 3 or 4 Leaves finely sliced
2 Onions Finely Sliced
Salt
Pepper

Potatoes
4 large Maris Piper Potatoes Peeled
110g Butter
Pepper

Stewed Apples
1 Granny Smith Apple
White Wine vinegar
White Sugar

Gravy
Bisto Caramelised Onion gravy granules
Boiled Water

Method

Pork: total cooking time: 2:30 hrs

• Preheat oven to 240C this may seem ridiculously hot but it is to get the skin to start crisping
• Most Supermarkets do tend to have scored the rind on pork belly before it reaches the shelves, and all butchers will be more than happy to do it for you. However, if it isn't already, score the rind with a Stanley Knife at 2 centimeter intervals so that it is about a centimeter deep.
• Once the pork is scored rub PLENTY of salt over the rind. This is to draw the moisture out of the skin so it goes crispy and crackles!!!
• Turn the belly over to expose the flesh. Pierce the flesh with a knife and in the insertion add a slice of garlic and a bit of sage. Do this 5 or 6 times.
• Season the belly with salt and pepper
• Add the pork to an ovenproof glass dish or roasting tray on top of the sliced onion
• Add to oven for 20 minutes before you reduce the heat to 160C and leave it at this temperature for 2 hrs 10 mins.
• If after that time the crackling isn't hard enough place it under a hot grill until the rind begins to bubble and go hard
• Then rest for 20 minutes before serving

Potatoes: prep: 10 mins. Cooking time: 40 mins

Whilst i have been told that i make the great roast potatoes, sometimes i like a change and these fondants are excellent, buttery, rich, crispy, smooth, need i go on? This is a recipe borrowed from my favourite chef's cookbook... Michel roux Jr.'s book 'Le Gavroche'.

• Cut the peeled potatoes into discs 2cm thick and add them to a non-stick frying pan. (If you want to keep up a 2 star Michelin image you should make them uniformly round and bevel the edges, but who has the time to do that?!) 
• Break the butter and distribute around the pan.
• Add enough water to the pan in order for it to just cover the potatoes.
• Cover and cook on a medium heat until the water has evaporated, about half an hour. Once that has happened the butter will remain in the the pan and start to crisp up the bottom of the potato.
• At this stage turn the potatoes at 5 minute intervals until they are golden on both sides.

Stewed Apples

These can be prepared in advance and are a great alternative to the bog standard apple sauce. Sligtly sweet, slightly sour, these were just something i thought i'd try because i couldn't imagine why it wouldn't work. It pays to experiment in the kitchen. Experiments may end in disaster, but its worth it for the ones that work. These are best cooked in advance and served at room temperature.

• Cut the apple into quarters and remove the core.
• Thinly slice the apple.
• Add a good glug of white wine vinegar to a saucepan along with two tablespoons of white sugar.
• Add the apples to the saucepan and cook over a moderately high heat until the vinegar and sugar solution has reduced to a syrup.
• Adjust this recipe to taste: if you think you would like it more sour, add some more vinegar. Sweeter... add more sugar. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that though.
• Cook the apples until tender. When a knife passes through them with no resistance.

This recipe is good for all sorts of fruits as well. I've done a similar thing with plums that have just been cut in half and they were the PERFECT accompaniment for duck.

Gravy 

The final component of this dish is the gravy. Easy peasy.

• Once the pork has been removed from the tray you will need to skim the excess fat from the juices in the pan to avoid the gravy being overly fatty. However do no get rid of the meat juice because that is what gives the gravy a great flavour. It is easy to distinguish between the two because the fat is clear whereas the meat juice will be a dark brown colour.
• Then place the dish on a hob and add one heaped tablespoon of the Bisto gravy.
• Stir into the liquid and then add boiling water a bit at a time until you have a nice consistency.