Asian-style crisp pork belly salad

With crunchy crackling, this pork deserves top billing on your modern Christmas menu.

PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES (+ COOLING & STANDING) SERVES

1 bunch fresh coriander

1kg piece boneless pork belly, rind scored 1 tablespoon sea salt flakes

3 star anise

½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

½ cup (125ml) Chinese cooking wine (shao hsing) 1 Lebanese cucumber (130g), halved lengthways, sliced

1 small red onion (100g), sliced thinly

¼ medium wombok (250g), shredded

1 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves 2 cups (60g) snow pea tendrils

2 fresh long red chillies, seeded, sliced thinly 1 green onion, sliced thinly

1 lime (65g), cut into wedges

GINGER DRESSING

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemongrass, white part only

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 1½ tablespoons soy sauce

1½ tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar 1½ tablespoons caster sugar 1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan.

2 Wash coriander well; drain well and pat dry. Remove stems and roots from coriander and coarsely chop; reserve leaves for salad.

3 Pat pork dry with paper towel. Place pork in a medium roasting pan; rub half the sea salt into rind. Add coriander roots and stems, star anise, peppercorns and cooking wine to pan. Pour in enough water to almost submerge pork, leaving rind dry. Cover dish tightly with baking paper and foil.

4 Roast for 2 hours or until pork is tender. Carefully drain liquid from pan; stand pork to cool and dry.

5 Meanwhile, make ginger dressing.

6 Increase oven to 240°C/220°C fan. Place pork on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Season pork skin with remaining sea salt. Roast pork for 30 minutes or until rind starts to bubble. Cover any parts of the rind that start to brown too quickly with a small piece of foil. Reduce heat to 180°C/160°C fan. Roast for a further 15 minutes or until rind is crackled. Remove from heat.

7 Meanwhile, layer the cucumber, red onion, wombok, basil, reserved coriander leaves, snow pea tendrils and the chilli on a platter.

8 Slice pork and crackling thickly; place on salad. Top with green onion and dressing. Serve with lime wedges.

GINGER DRESSING

Whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl.