I have talked to you about Pork Belly previously, but that was with an asian flavour. Tonight I cooked it, but with an Italian influence (that should surprise you lol).

While in Italy I tasted pork that was to die for. It had a coating on it that seemed a combination of a salty-sagey-fennelly taste (my best interpretation). Our chef guru, Jonathon, showed us how to replicate this delicious treat and we had it with chicken. Since I've been home I have made it many times with chicken, but more recently with pork, and it is truly YUMMO (highly technical term to describe a foods deliciousness).

I make a paste by putting fennel seeds, salt and pepper and chicken salt in a mortar and pestle and grinding it down to a fine powder, I then add crushed garlic, fresh sage and rosemary, chopped very finely and olive oil. I know I haven't given you quantities, but it really is to taste, you don't have to be exact. Using fresh rosemary and sage really is essential as the dried just doesn't give you the flavour explosion you need.

Whether you use pork or chicken you use this paste and rub it all over the meat, use your hands and massage it in. I used pork belly tonight, I rubbed this paste in the placed the pork belly in a roasting dish, I added 1 cup of chicken stock and covered it and placed it in the oven on 180oC for about an hour. I then removed the cover and left it in there until I was ready to make the crackling, and did this by putting the oven on grill and letting it crisp away.

I served it with braised red cabbage - it is So good!! even if you're not a cabbage fan you'd love this!

1T olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove crushed
1 t fennel seeds
1/3 c white wine
200g red cabbage, shredded
1 c frozen peas
50g chopped butter

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring for 3 mins. Add garlic and fennel seeds and cook until it becomes fragrant, add the wine and simmer until it reduces by half. reduce the heat to medium and add the cabbage and peas. Cook, toss it around until the peas are heated through and the cabbage just starts to wilt, add the butter and toss until the butter is melted, season with salt and pepper and serve... mmmm

You can then cook something like potatoes... maybe cubed and covered with Italian seasoning, or rosemary salt and olive oil.. and baked in the oven till crispy. I do hope you'll try this, as the taste is amazing! and the whole family will enjoy.

Happy Cooking!