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!

Well there's a been a long break I guess, but in the meantime I have travelled to the most gorgeous, fascinating and intoxicating country I've ever been to. I have totally and utterly fallen for Italy. If it weren't for my cats I would sell up and move my family over there, as I am sure that I could assimilate into the life there very easy.

While I was there I had the privilege of staying in Tuscany in the wonderful medieval town of Cortona. I attended a cooking school with the fabulous Jonathon Arthur and his really lovely family, wife Sarah and daughter Lizzy. They made us feel like friends rather than clients and they were so knowledgeable about the area, the food, the culture and the art etc. They were very generous of their time with us and it's a real privilege to have met them.

Jonathon shared with us the simplicity and beauty of Italian food. He showed us how easy it was with good quality, everyday produce, to create great food.

Tonight we are having one of those delicious recipes and I would like to share it with you. I hope Jonathon won't mind...

Steak Picciola

Pureed Tomato (I use Passata - I get it from Davis Trading 1 litre for $1.95! It is not the thick type that comes in tubes, it is a thin puree, quite juicy with the seeds removed)
olive oil
oregano (dried is ok)
capers
salt & pepper
Thinly sliced steak (at Countdown here in NZ they have a cut called sizzle                                  steak that is absolutely perfect and the closest I have                                  found to what I had in Italy)

I haven't given measurements because it is really to taste... but I will try in the method to give you an idea..

In a wide frypan/skillet put a good glug of olive oil (to thinly cover the bottom of the pan) cook the meat slices over a med-high heat, turning over. Once cooked both sides remove from the oil and set aside, keep warm. The meat will be cooked, but not browned.

Pour into the olive oil the passata - once again covering the bottom of the pan, probably about 1 - 2 cups... sprinkle over oregano, salt & pepper, and capers (that have been roughly chopped, probably about 2 tablespoons. Let this mix warm through on a medium heat, stirring through. Place the steak back in to the tomato mix, lower the heat right down, cover and let it cook through slowly to tenderise and absorb the flavours.

In Italy you don't have meat and veges like we do in NZ, traditionally you would have had a pasta first course that contains your veges etc, so it is not necessary to eat them with your meat. I am serving ours with a potato bake and some simple steamed vege.

The potato bake is just slices of potato layered in a oven dish, pour over cream and top with grated cheese. Bake on 180oC until potatoes are cooked and browned.

Check out Jonathons website here http://www.italywithrelish.it/

Happy Cooking