Pork belly with beans and pistou

If the crackling needs a little extra pop at the end then lift the pork out of the beans and put onto a baking tray. Turn the oven back up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and roast for another 15-20 mins or until the crackling is crisp.

SERVES 4 | PREP 25 MINS PLUS OVERNIGHT SOAKING AND MARINATING | COOK 4 HRS | EASY

200g dried cannellini beans

8 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

1kg pork belly, skin scored 4 long shallots, halved

1 tbsp olive oil

800ml chicken stock

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 lemon, sliced PISTOU

1 garlic clove

a small bunch of basil leaves

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 The night before cooking the pork, put the dried beans into a large bowl with the garlic cloves and bay leaves, then pour over 2 litres of cold water, cover and leave at room temperature overnight. Also remove the pork from its wrapping and sprinkle heavily with sea salt flakes. Put into a roasting tin, uncovered, and into the fridge overnight.

2 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and leave the pork at room temperature for 30 mins while the oven heats. Tip the shallots into the roasting tray and pat the pork skin dry, then drizzle lightly with oil, getting into all the scores on the skin. Roast for 1 hr until the skin is beginning to get really crisp. Drain the beans through a fine sieve.

3 Remove the pork from the oven and turn down the temperature to 170C/150C fan/gas 2. Put the beans around the pork, being careful to avoid the skin, then pour in the stock and add the fennel seeds and sliced lemon. Roast for 3 hrs until the pork is meltingly tender and the beans are soft. Remove from the oven, loosely cover and leave to rest for 15 mins.

4 Make the pistou by using a pestle and mortar to crush the garlic clove and a pinch of sea salt flakes to a paste. Add the basil leaves and repeat, then mix in the oil.

5 Serve the pork and beans with the pistou.

PER SERVING 720 kcals | fat 41G saturates 12.9G | carbs 21.9G | sugars 3.1G fibre 14.7G | protein 58.6G | salt 1.8G