Fennel-rubbed belly of pork with roast garlic mash

Pork belly is a brilliant bargain cut – get the butcher to score the skin quite heavily so your crackling will be golden and crunchy.

■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 20 mins plus resting ■ Cook 3 hrs

2kg pork belly on or off the bone,

skin scored

3 tsp sea salt flakes

2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

2 large onions, thickly sliced

1/2 garlic whole bulb

500ml dry cider

FOR THE GARLIC MASH

2kg floury potatoes, peeled and cut

into chunks

100g salted butter

150ml whole milk

1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Lay the pork belly skin-side up and rub in the salt and fennel, pushing deep into the scores in the skin. Lay the onion slices in a roasting tin and sit the pork on top. Pour a glass of water into the bottom of the tin. Wrap the garlic in a double thickness of foil and tuck into the tin alongside the pork. Roast for 40 mins until the skin starts to crisp at the edges. Turn the oven down to 150C/130C fan/gas 2, pour in the cider and cook for a further 2 hrs.

2 Drain the juices from the tin into a jug. Take out the garlic parcel. Turn the oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7. Return the pork to the oven and cook for another 15-20 mins or until the skin crackles. Rest for 20 mins before slicing. 3 Meanwhile, make the mash. Boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water until tender; about 20 mins. Drain really well, return to the pan, then add the butter and milk and put back on the heat. Squeeze in the roasted garlic, discarding the skins, and simmer everything gently for 2-3 mins. Mash until smooth.

4 Spoon the fat from the juices and reheat to serve with the mash and pork. PER SERVING 1,081 kcals, fat 61g, saturates 2g, carbs 64g, fibre 6g, protein 63g, salt 3.4g