Pressed pork belly with marzipan, butternut and ground elder
Pork belly is a very common cut of meat often used within the UK for a variety of different meals. The beauty of this meat is that it is great to cook slowly, and this take on this cut of meat is a great way to start finding your passion for cooking.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- ½ a Pork belly
- Dried marzipan
- 1 butternut squash
- 50g table salt
- Ground elder
- 200g butter
- Sea salt
- 500ml white chicken stock
Method:
- Trim down the pork belly, careful to remove any bone or gristle.
- Dissolve the 50g of table salt with 1 litre of water in a bowl, large enough for the water and belly to both be able to fit into.
- Place the belly in the brine for around 6 hours.
- Once 6 hours is up and the belly has finished brining, wash the belly with tap water and dry.
- Next place the belly in a deep oven tray and cover with vegetable oil.
- Place in the oven at 110 or gas mark 3 for 4 hours or until tender, it should cut like butter.
- Next prepare the butternut textures, firstly peel the squash and then peel the solid pieces to ‘sheets’ like lasagne, lay flat on a tray and season with salt and oil.
- Next take the trimmings and place in a sauce pan, slowly start sweating off the squash adding white stock until tender add 100g of butter and hen blend until a smooth puree, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Finally take the seeds and wash off any butternut pulp, drain and then roast the seeds in the oven for 10 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Once the belly is cooked, remove from the oil and leave to drain and rest. Once drained, cut the belly into 6 pieces and save for later.
- To finish the dish take the belly and render in a pan until golden and crisp. At the same time warm the butternut, and add the ground elder into the pork render and wilt until tender.
- Arrange on the plate and finish by grating the dried marzipan over the dish.
