Recipes Keywords: pork-belly

Belly of Old Spot Pork with Seared King Scallops, Dressed Baby Fennel and French Onion Puree

StarterServes 4

The day before, place the belly pork in a large oven-proof tray with a sprig of thyme, half a bulb of garlic (peeled), one onion and roughly chopped carrots and celery. Add chicken stock, bring to the boil on stove top, cover with foil and place in a medium oven for 4 hours. Once cooked, place on a flat tray topped with another flat tray and place a heavy weight on top before leaving in a fridge overnight. # When chilled, remove skin. Cut into 4 portions and return to the fridge. # Slice the onions, crush garlic and chop the thyme. Cook together slowly in a heavy-based pan until golden brown and the liquid has evaporated. Blend until smooth and pass through a fine sieve. # Blanch the fennel in boiling water for 2 minutes then refresh in ice-cold water. Cut into small pieces and dress in rapeseed oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. # Pick the garnishing herbs from their stalks and leave them in iced water. # Heat a non-stick frying pan with olive oil until smoking hot and place the belly pork in skin side down. Put in the oven for 8-10 minutes. # Gently warm the onion puree in one saucepan and the fennel and dressing in another. # Sear scallops in hot frying pan with foaming butter for 11/2 minutes on each side. # Spoon the onion puree onto the plate, place the belly pork skin side up and garnish with warm fennel, scallops, chopped tomato and herbs serve immediately.

Pork Belly, Dublin Bay Prawns and Pea Puree

StarterServes 4

# Pre-heat oven to 180C # First, braise the pork belly. # Gently shallow fry the carrots, onion and garlic in an oven proof pan large enough to accomodate the belly. When the vegetables begin to turn golden, add the belly and chicken stock to cover (Topping up with water is fine). Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven for approximately 2-2.5 hours until tender but not falling apart. # When cooked, line a tray with greaseproof paper and place the belly on this. Place another sheet of greaseproof on top, place a tray on top of this and weigh down for 6hrs. (A few tins of beans, bags of sugar etc are all fine for this.) # Once pressed and cooled, cut belly into 3cm cubes with a sharp knife.

For the Dublin Bay prawns

# Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the prawns for 1 minute only. # Remove and let cool slightly before peeling. # Once peeled, make a cut down the length of the back (not all the way through) and remove the digestive tract.

For the pea puree:

# Sweat the shallot gently in a little butter until soft. Do not let colour. # Add the peas and the cream and reduce the cream until it just coats the vegetables. # Puree this in a food processor or with a hand blender, push through a sieve and correct seasoning to taste.

To Serve:

# Reheat the belly cubes in a hot oven for approximately 10 minutes. # Add the part cooked prawns for the last two minutes. # Meanwhile, gently reheat the puree. # Remove pork and prawns from oven and season. # Place a spoonful of pea puree at the top of each plate, and smear straight down the plate. # Arrange two pork cubes and two prawns on each plate. # Add a few pea shoots dressed in vinaigrette, if you like.