PORCHETTA STUFFED WITH SAGE, ROSEMARY & GARLIC

What did the Romans ever do for us? This Italian classic pork roast comes from the ancient Romans, who apparently brought the idea over here along with sage, rosemary and garlic plants. Huge whole pigs are roasted with this stuffing in Tuscany and served cold in slices in markets. Serve cold with salad or hot with some cavolo nero, sautéed with chilli and garlic. PER SERVING 1.2g carbs, 0.5g fibre, 54g protein, 36g fat, 549 kcal

Serves 8

1 boneless pork belly

(approximately 3kg) 2tsp fine salt

For the stuffing

10g fresh sage leaves

10g rosemary needles

2 fat garlic cloves, peeled

1tbsp fennel seeds

2tsp salt

1tsp freshly ground black pepper

Salad or sautéed cavolo nero,

to serve Preheat the oven to 240°C/fan 220°C/gas 9. Lay the pork belly skin- side up in a roasting tin. Pour a large kettleful of boiling water over. You will see the skin whiten and swell. Now carefully tilt the tin over a sink and pour the water away. Do this once more. Pat the pork belly dry thoroughly with kitchen paper and rub the salt into the skin. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes before drying it again with kitchen paper.

Make the stuffing by briefly blending the ingredients together in a food processor to form a rough paste, or more authentically chop them together on a board with a cook’s knife. Turn the pork belly skin- side down and spread the mixture evenly over it. Roll the belly up and tie with butcher’s string in several places. Put it onto a rack over a roasting tin and place in the centre of the oven. Half fill the tin with water to help create steam and crackle the skin.

Roast for 40-50 minutes, or until the skin is blistered all over, then remove from the oven. Reduce the temperature to 170°C/fan 150°C/ gas 3. Tip away the fat in the roasting tin or save for roasting vegetables. Return the pork to the oven on a rack over a clean tin with more water poured into it and continue to cook for 1½-2 hours. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach at least 62°C (140°F) for 3 minutes. Don’t worry if it has gone over this – it will still be juicy inside. When the pork is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes to relax.