Crispy Skin Pork Belly, Roast Parsnip Puree & Salsa Verde
Roast pork and crackling: arguably the most desirable double act within the meat family. Add the velvet-like texture of roasted parsnip puree and the tangy top notes of salsa verde, and you’ve got the kind of dish we’d swap vital organs for.
Well almost. Pete Schell’s epic 2014 Spinifex ‘Papillon’ Grenache Cinsault, with its restrained nose of small forest berries and elegant mineral texture, takes this dish to a whole new place – a place we’re more than happy spending time! And yes, there are a couple of hours to this dish, but it’s well worth the effort.
INGREDIENTS
– Serves 4 –
800 g pork belly (preferably square)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
2 large parsnips
3 garlic cloves
6 anchovies
2 tbsp. capers, rinsed
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 bunch of basil, leaves picked
1 bunch of mint, leaves picked
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
juice of ½ lemon
1 cup chicken stock
METHOD
Pour yourself a glass of 2014 Spinifex ‘Papillon’.
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan-forced.
Evenly score the skin of the pork with a sharp knife (or Stanley knife), being careful not to cut through to the flesh – a metal ruler will help! Season the skin with 1 tablespoon of salt, and then rub over 1 tablespoon of oil.
Place the pork, skin-side down, in a heavy-bottomed ovenproof dish and roast for 1 hour.
Peel the parsnips, cut into 2–3 cm dice and add to a mixing bowl with 2 garlic cloves, skin on. Once the pork has roasted for 1 hour, drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the parsnip, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Tip onto a roasting tray and place in the oven.
Turn the pork skin-side up and reduce the heat to 150°C. . Roast both the pork and parsnip for 45 minutes.
For the salsa verde, chop the anchovies, capers and remaining garlic clove super finely and add to a mixing bowl with the mustard. Finely chop the herbs and add to the bowl. Add a little oil and mix to combine, adding more oil gradually until a loose paste. Add the lemon juice and season with pepper to taste – you probably won’t need any salt because of the anchovies and capers.
Remove the pork from the oven and set aside.
Remove the parsnip from the oven and add to a saucepan. Squeeze the roast garlic cloves out of the skins and add to the pan. Add the stock and 1 tablespoon of oil and puree with a stick blender until smooth. Season to taste and reheat if necessary.
Using a sharp knife, cut the pork, skin-side down, into four even pieces.
Add 3–4 tablespoons of puree to each plate. Place the pork on top and finish with a tablespoon or so of salsa verde – you will have a bit of salsa left over, but it’s brilliant with anything off the barbecue or with slow-roasted lamb, grilled tuna or on a bruschetta with torn fresh mozzarella.
Serve with a simple salad of red cabbage, chives, apple and mint.
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