To make the lentils, heat a slug of oil in a heavy pan and gently cook the veg, garlic and thyme until just soft. Add the red wine vinegar and lentils. Add enough stock to just cover, then bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer until tender but with a litle bite – add a splash more stock if needed. Stir in the parsley. to make the caper sauce, whizz the ingredients in a food processor, adding the olive oil as you go. Carve the pork and serve with the lentils and caper sauce.
Ingredients
- boneless pork belly 2 kg, scored well with a sharp knife
- smoked sea salt 1 tbsp
- olive oil
braised lentils
- shallots 4, finely chopped
- celery 1 stalk, finely chopped
- carrot 1, finely chopped
- garlic 2 cloves, crushed
- thyme a few sprigs
- red wine vinegar 1 tbsp
- Puy lentils 300g
- light chicken stock
- flat-leaf parsley a handful, chopped
caper sauce
- basil, parsley and mint a small bunch of each, leaves only
- garlic 2 cloves
- white wine vinegar 2 tbsp
- capers 2 tbsp, rinsed and drained
- Dijon mustard 1 tsp
- olive oil 150ml
Method
-
Step 1
Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the pork in the sink skin-side up and pour over a kettleful of boiling water – this will make the skin crackle better. Leave to drain then pat completely dry. Rub all over with olive oil and sprinkle over the sea salt. Put on a rack in a roasting tin and put in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and cook for 3 hours. In the meantime, make the lentils and the sauce.
-
Step 2
To make the lentils, heat a slug of oil in a heavy pan and gently cook the veg, garlic and thyme until just soft. Add the red wine vinegar and lentils. Add enough stock to just cover, then bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer until tender but with a litle bite – add a splash more stock if needed. Stir in the parsley. to make the caper sauce, whizz the ingredients in a food processor, adding the olive oil as you go. Carve the pork and serve with the lentils and caper sauce.
Nutritional Information
- Kcals 866
- Carbs 24.8g
- Protein 67g
- Fat 55.2g
- Salt 3.2g
- Fibre 7.1g
