Crispy fennel pork belly with herb salsa

Method

1. Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Mix the fennel, sage and salt in a small bowl, then rub the flavourings into the scored lines in the skin of the pork belly. 
2. Put the onions, apple slices and carrots in the centre of a roasting tin that fits the pork belly comfortably but fairly snugly. Sit the pork on top of the veg, then drizzle with a good glug of oil and add a few turns of ground black pepper. 
3. Pour the stock and wine into the tin around the pork, then roast in the oven for 4 hours 30 minutes or until the meat is very tender and can be pushed apart with a fork. Turn over the vegetables if they’re browning too much. 
4. Recipe continues after advertising adslot-recipe-4
5. Turn up the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas 9 and cook the pork for a further 25-30 minutes until the crackling has bubbled and is golden and crisp (keep an eye on it). Remove from the oven, transfer the pork to a cutting board and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes. 
6. Remove the vegetables from the liquid, put in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and keep warm in the switched-off oven. Pour the cooking juices into a saucepan, skim off the fat, then keep warm over a gentle heat, adding a splash more wine just before serving. 
7. Meanwhile prepare the salsa. Put the onion in a bowl with the vinegar, lemon zest and juice and sugar, then season with salt. Leave for 10 minutes until lightly pickled, then drain and mix with the fresh herbs just before serving. Carve the pork into squares or thick slices (use kitchen scissors to cut through the crackling if it’s difficult), then plate up with some of the reserved veg and a drizzle of the cooking juices. Serve with the salsa on the side. Mash or roast potatoes would be great if you’re feeding a crowd.