PORK BELLY SKEWERS WITH SUGAR SNAPS & WATERCRESS SAUCE
Ben Bayly
Serves
4 as an entreePreparation
20 mins plus 2 hrs marinating timeCook
20 minsIngredients
| 600g pork belly, de-skinned | |
| zest of 2 lemons, plus juice of 1 lemon | |
| 5g ground peppercorns | |
| 15g flaky salt | |
| 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves | |
| 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves | |
| 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds | |
| a lug of good olive oil | |
| SUGAR SNAPS | |
| 100ml apple cider vinegar | |
| 20g mint, crushed plus an extra 10g, chopped, to serve | |
| 2 handfuls sugar snaps | |
| 100g peas | |
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | |
| WATERCRESS DIPPING SAUCE | |
| 200g watercress | |
| 50ml crème fraîche | |
| zest of 1 lemon | |
| 30ml olive oil |
Instructions
| 1. | Slice the pork belly into squares about 3cm x 3cm and ½ cm thick. |
| 2. | To make the marinade, mix together the lemon zest, peppercorns, salt, thyme, rosemary and fennel seeds. |
| 3. | Rub into the pork and marinate for 2 hours in the fridge. |
| 4. | Skewer the pork belly, leaving a small gap between each slice so it cooks evenly. |
| 5. | Fire up a charcoal barbecue and let the coals die down low – pork belly needs to be cooked long and slow, so be patient. |
| 6. | Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning frequently. |
| 7. | Be careful of flare ups with the hot fat; if that happens it means your coals are too hot. |
| 8. | Once cooked through, season with lemon juice and olive oil. |
| 9. | Serve with the sugar snaps and watercress dipping sauce. |
| 10. | SUGAR SNAPS |
| 11. | Simmer the vinegar and crushed mint for 1 minute, then let it sit for 5 minutes off the heat. |
| 12. | Strain the vinegar and reserve. |
| 13. | Discard the mint. |
| 14. | Gently fry the sugar snaps and peas in olive oil for a few minutes until tender. |
| 15. | Deglaze the pan by adding the vinegar and letting it bubble up, scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon. |
| 16. | To serve, scatter over the fresh chopped mint. |
| 17. | WATERCRESS DIPPING SAUCE |
| 18. | Bring a pot of water to the boil add a tablespoon of salt. |
| 19. | Add the watercress and boil for 1 minute, then strain through a sieve, pushing out any excess water with a ladle. |
| 20. | Put the watercress in a blender with the crème fraîche, lemon zest and olive oil and blend until smooth. |
| 21. | Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. |
| 22. | Serve warm or chill in the fridge to thicken and serve cold for a contrast in temperature to the hot, fatty pork skewers. |
Recipes & food styling Ben Bayly / Photography Sam Stewart
Tags: Photographer Sam Stewart, pork belly skewers, sugar snaps, watercress sauce, Ben Bayly, pork belly

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