RECIPE: Slow-cooked pork belly with cauliflower, scallops and black pudding

Head chef at Stanley House Hotel and Spa in Mellor, Lancashire John Riding shares his recipe for the perfect belly pork dish, slow cooked and served with cauliflower, scallops, black pudding and samphire. For more details about Stanley House and its restaurants, visit: www.stanleyhouse.co.uk

INGREDIENTS

1kg lean pork belly – boneless

100g queen scallops – washed and dried

50g samphire – quickly blanched in water until tender

Mashed potatoes – placed into a piping bag and kept warm

Four pieces black pudding

For seasoning

30g sea salt

20g ground peppercorns

20g mixed spice

2 cloves garlic – pureed

4 tablespoons olive oil

10g thyme

750g duck fat – to cover

For cauliflower puree

1 head cauliflower – cut into florets

75g butter

Whipping cream

Salt and pepper

METHOD

Pork

1) One day prior, carefully score the rind and rub into the meat all of the seasoning ingredients except the duck fat, before covering and refrigerating for 24 hours.

2) One day later, place the pork into a casserole dish before melting the duck fat and pouring over the pork so that it is covered.

3) Place in a pre-heated oven at 110 degrees for approximately three hours.

TIP: the cooking time will depend upon the thickness of the pork. For reference, the pork should pull apart when cooked.

4) When cooked, place the pork on to a tray and leave to cool.

5) When cool, cut the pork into portions and in a heavy-bottomed pan, reheat the pork skin side down on a low heat to crisp up the skin.

6) When crisp, turn back over and place in a moderate oven to reheat thoroughly.

Cauliflower puree

1) Melt the butter in a thick bottomed pan.

2) Thinly slice half the cauliflower florets and sweat off in the butter without colour. Blanch the remaining half in seasoned water for garnish.

3) Add the cream and simmer until fully cooked.

4) Strain off the liquid and place the cauliflower in a food processor and liquidize until smooth, adding the strained cream a little at a time, until  you have the correct consistency.

5) Season with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm.

To serve

1) Pan fry the black pudding until crisp in a little butter or oil and keep warm.

2) Add a teaspoon of duck fat to a hot pan and quickly fry the scallops. Season to taste and keep warm.

3) Spoon the puree onto the centre of the plate, and top with the pork which has been dabbed on absorbent paper to remove any excess duck fat.

4) Pipe a mound of mashed potato to one side of the pork, before placing the black pudding in.

5) Sprinkle around the cauliflower florets, the scallops and the samphire.

6) Serve with a little red wine gravy.