“Porchetta is a spectacular dish,” Andy says. “Not only do you get this beautiful tenderloin running through the middle, which is then wrapped in garden herbs and garlic, you also get some fantastic crackling from the belly.
“So you have the complete dish – great meat, gorgeous Kitchen Garden flavours, and then some crunch to round it all off. Pork heaven!”
Serves 10-12
Ingredients:
- 2kg (4lb 80oz) pork belly, ribs off
- 1kg (2lb 4oz) pork loin, skinned
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
- 50g (1¾oz) fennel seeds, toasted and ground
- rapeseed oil
- table salt
Method:
Place the belly skin side up and score the skin with a sharp blade in a criss-cross pattern. Cut the pork loin in half lengthways and take off any sinews and fat, leaving just the eye of the meat.
Turn the pork belly skin side down and hammer it all over. You can use a meat hammer if you have one, or a rolling pin wrapped in cling film if not. Rub the garlic and lemon zest into the flesh, sprinkle with the fennel seeds and season with salt.
Lay the loin on top of the belly and roll it up. Now, tie some string around the joint at 5cm (2 inches) intervals. Put it in the refrigerator until it’s needed.
Pre-heat the oven to 240°C, 220°C fan (475°F), gas mark 9. Put the porchetta on a tray and season the skin with salt, leaving it on the side for 10 minutes until the moisture starts to draw out of the skin. Dab it dry with kitchen paper, rub a drizzle of rapeseed oil all over the skin and salt again.
Place the joint on a clean tray and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 200°C, 180°C fan (400°F), gas mark 6, and roast until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with the skewer. Then leave it somewhere warm to rest for at least 15-20 minutes.
Remove the string before carving.
