The key to the crispiest crackling is leaving the pork uncovered to dry out overnight. Don’t be afraid of the high temperature— it’s crucial to get that bubbly crackling texture. 

Fennel-seed crackling clementine roasted pork belly

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.5kg pork belly on the bone
1 cup coarse rock salt
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and crushed 
2 tsp salt flakes 
Milled pepper
7cm ginger, sliced
1 fennel bulb, sliced (reserve fronds for another recipe)
2 red chilies
2 cloves garlic
4 clementines, peeled and cut in half + extra for serving
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup rice wine vinegar 
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1½ cups fresh orange juice
½ cup vegetable stock 
1 packet (200g) baby fennel, halved and pan-fried
Fennel curls and flowers, for serving  

Method

1. Score pork fat, being careful not to cut through to the meat (a serrated knife works well for this). Pat dry and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place uncovered in the fridge and leave to dry for 2 hours, or overnight if the time allows.
2. Thoroughly brush off all the salt and pat rind dry with kitchen paper. 
3. Toast fennel seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for about a minute. Crush using pestle and mortar, then mix with salt flakes. Rub salt onto rind and between any crevasses. 
4. Preheat oven to 220°C. 
5. Create a foil boat or parcel the size of the pork roast. (This ensures your meat stays covered while cooking, keeping it moist and juicy.) Wrap in foil in roasting pan. 
6. Place ginger, fennel bulb, chilli, garlic and clementines at the bottom of foil parcel.
7. Combine sugar, vinegar, fish sauce and orange juice, stirring to combine. Pour sauce into foil boat. Place pork meat-side down in the sauce, making sure to keep fat exposed as this will become crackling. 
8. Roast for 35-45 minutes, or until fat begins to bubble and turns golden. 
9. Turn heat down to 170°C and continue cooking for another 11/2 hours, or until meat is tender. 
10. Remove meat from parcel and rest for 10 minutes, while pan juices are reducing in the oven, creating a sauce. 
11. To serve, pan-fry baby fennel until golden and tender. 
12. Serve slices of pork belly with the pan-fried baby fennel, fresh clementines, fennel curls and fennel flowers.

By: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

Also read: Pork belly with spicy cranberry sauce

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