Roast rolled pork belly stuffed with leeks, sourdough and preserved lemon

Serves 6-8

Crisp, salty crackling; tender, juicy meat; and soft sourdough stuffing soaked in the pork’s roasting juices – divine. It’s best to prepare the stuffing, and roll and string the pork the day before you want to roast it, and bear in mind this is a slow-cook dish that you leave to look after itself. It’s lovely with steamed tenderstem broccoli, roast potatoes or a grain salad.

For the stuffing (this makes enough for two lots, but freezes well for next time)

— 1½ tbsp olive oil

— knob of butter

— 5g preserved lemon, finely

chopped

— 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks separated, both chopped

— 3 thyme sprigs, hard stems

removed

— 1 onion, finely chopped

— 2 large leeks, green parts intact, halved, washed and sliced into half moons

— ½ tsp coriander seeds,

slightly crushed

— pinch of chilli flakes

— 25g toasted pine nuts

— 2 garlic cloves, crushed — 200g minced pork

— 200g sourdough, blitzed

to breadcrumbs

— juice of ½ lemon

— 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves

removed and chopped — freshly grated nutmeg,

to season

— 1 egg, beaten

For the pork

— 1½-2kg bone-out pork belly,

skin scored

— 1 tsp fennel seeds

— ½ tsp chilli flakes Preheat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas mark 1.

To make the stuffing, heat the olive oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan and add the preserved lemon, parsley stalks and thyme. Let the lemon cook down for a couple of minutes to flavour the fat, then add the onion and leek. Season and cook gently over a low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Add the coriander seeds, chilli flakes, pine nuts and garlic, and cook for a further two minutes, then turn up the heat, add the minced pork and brown thoroughly all over, being sure to break apart any clumps with a wooden spoon, allowing any moisture to cook off.

Transfer the whole lot to a bowl, allow to cool for a few minutes then add the breadcrumbs, lemon juice, parsley leaves, rosemary and nutmeg. Season well, then mix together thoroughly with your hands. Add the egg and mix again.

On a board, turn the pork skin-side down and pierce/slash the belly all over with a knife. Season with the fennel seeds, chilli flakes and a big pinch of salt and rub these into the meat.

Form the stuffing into a rough sausage shape running all the way down the middle of the belly. Wrap the sides of the belly around the stuffing and tie neatly along the length of the roll with butcher’s string. This can be a little fiddly – ask someone to help you hold the roll together while you bind it.

Place the pork on a wire rack inside a roasting tray. Roast gently for five hours, then turn the heat up to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7 and roast for a further hour to crisp up the crackling. Ovens do vary, so keep an eye on the crackling as you don’t want to burn it. Remove the meat from the roasting tray and let it rest for at least 20 mins, then slice and serve with the roastingpan juices.