Belly of Pork Slow Roasted with Fennel Seeds, Garlic and Rosemary

Serves 6

2 tsp fennel seeds

mashed potato and cabbage to serve, optional

For the gravy

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp plain flour

For the carrots

750g large carrots, peeled, or 750g baby new carrots, topped and tailed, scraped clean

1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1 Place fennel seeds, peppercorns and crushed chillies into a mortar and coarsely grind with the pestle. Add salt, garlic and rosemary leaves and grind until a coarse paste forms. Add oil. Mix to combine. Place pork belly on a chopping board skin-side down and make a series of shallow cuts into the flesh. Spread paste over meat and push down well into the 
cuts. Set aside somewhere cool for at least 1 hour, 
or refrigerate overnight, 
covered, if time permits.

2 Preheat oven to 160˚C. Spread onions over base of a large roasting tin. Place pork on a rack, skin-side up, to rest over top of onions. Rub pork skin well with oil and sprinkle with salt. Pour 600ml water into tin. Roast pork for 2¼-2½ hours or until very tender.

3 Meanwhile, if using large carrots, cut into slices approximately 10mm thick and cut each slice into 3-4 chunky matchsticks. Alternatively, use baby carrots whole. Place carrots into a wide, shallow pan and cover with apple juice. Add ½ tsp salt, sugar, butter and vinegar. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-high  and simmer vigorously for 30 minutes or until carrots are just tender. Set aside and keep warm.

4 Remove pork from oven and increase oven temperature to 230˚C. Return the pork on its rack to the top shelf of the oven but keep the roasting tin of onions out to make the gravy. Roast pork for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until 
skin is crisp.

5 For the gravy, the onions in the roasting tin need to be nicely coloured. If they are not quite brown enough, place tin directly over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes or until caramelised. Pour excess fat out of tin. Return tin to medium heat. Add vinegar and 50ml water. Cook, scraping base of tin with a wooden spoon to release caramelised cooking juices. Add flour, stirring to combine. Add 250ml water, increase heat to high and bring to 
the boil. Pass through a 
sieve into a small, clean pan and heat over medium-high heat. Simmer until reduced. Season with salt and 
keep hot.

6 Remove pork from oven. If skin is only crisp in patches, preheat grill to high. Grill pork, skin-side up, approximately 15cm away from heat, for 2-3 minutes, turning as necessary as 
each area starts to puff 
up and crisp.

7 Return carrots to high heat and cook until remaining liquid has reduced and carrots are covered in a sweet, buttery glaze. Add parsley and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper 
if necessary.

8 Place pork, skin-side down, on a chopping board. Cut through flesh and then skin. Place 2 thick pork slices on each serving plate. Drizzle with gravy and serve with a generous spoonful of carrots, as well as mashed potato and cabbage if desired.