Balsamic pork belly with caramelised figs

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay Magazine

1kg pork belly, skin removed
1 cup (175g) brown sugar
1 cup (250ml) water
½ cup (125ml) balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 black figs, halved
¼ cup (45g) brown sugar, extra
balsamic vinegar, extra, to serve

Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Cut the pork into even-sized pieces, thread onto metal skewers and place in a baking dish.

Combine sugar, water, vinegar and garlic in a bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the pork and cover with aluminium foil. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the heat to 200°C (390°F) and roast, turning occasionally, for a further 1 hour or until caramelised.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Press the figs, cut-side down, into the extra sugar and cook for 1 minute or until caramelised. Serve with the pork and drizzle with extra vinegar to serve. Serves 4.

Roasted Pear, Pork Fillet & Watercress

Ingredients
2 large pears, peeled, halved and core scooped out
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons white wine

6 juniper berries, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon thyme leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 small pork fillets (about 500g), trimmed of any sinew

4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 cup rich chicken stock
1/2 bunch watercress sprigs
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Place the pear halves, cut side down, in a heavy-based roasting dish. Drizzle with honey and pour in wine. Roast 20 minutes or until tender and lightly golden. You may need to add a little liquid (stock or water) throughout cooking if the pears absorb the wine very quickly. Set aside in a warm place or, if not using right away, cool then reheat in the oven just before serving. In the meantime prepare the pork.

Combine juniper berries, thyme, salt, pepper and oil and smear over fillets. Fry in a heavy-based frying pan over a moderate heat, 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Set aside in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes.

Deglaze pan by adding sherry vinegar and chicken stock to pan juices and simmer until reduced by half.

Dress the watercress in the extra virgin olive oil then season with salt and pepper and divide among 4 plates. Add a warm pear, sliced pork fillet and a little sauce from the pan to each plate. Serves 4 as an entrée.



Enjoy!

Pot-Roasted Pork Loin with Bay Leaves & Fino Sherry & Saffron Potatoes

Ingredients
Pot-Roasted Pork
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg pork loin, skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 fresh bay leaves
1 cup fino sherry
1/2 cup chicken stock
Saffron Potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
pinch of saffron, dry toasted and soaked in 2 tablespoons boiling water for 20 minutes
1kg Agria or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock

Method
Pot-Roasted Pork
Grind the fennel and coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle until quite fine then rub over the pork. Tie the pork with string to keep it in a round shape. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a casserole and brown the pork, fat side first, until lightly coloured. Remove from the casserole and set aside. Gently sauté the onions and bay leaves in the casserole until the onion is soft. Add the pork and fino sherry. Bring to the boil then add the chicken stock. Bring back to the boil then cover and pot-roast gently for 40 minutes or until the pork is tender, turning over halfway through cooking. Set aside for 20 minutes to rest (in the sauce).

Remove the string from the pork and slice thinly to serve with some of the onion and sherry sauce (you can reduce the sauce slightly if you prefer). Serve with the saffron potatoes and braised vegetables (recipes below). Serves 6.

Saffron Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until soft. Add the saffron, cook for a minute then add the potatoes and cook until they have a little colour (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper then place in a baking dish. Add the stock, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil then bake for another 10 minutes.