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1
My friend and fellow cook Uyen Luu taught me a foolproof way of getting really crackly crackling: Poach your pork belly in some bicarbonate of soda for 5 minutes before you prep it. Here's how: Fill a large pot with water, bring it to the boil, and add the bicarb. Submerge your pork belly and poach for 5 minutes. Remove from the poaching bath and lay out on a work surface, skin side down.
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2
Toast the fennel seeds and chilli flakes in a small dry pan for a couple of minutes, until fragrant, being careful not to burn the chilli and fumigate your kitchen.
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3
Grind the spices with the salt in a mini processor or mortar and pestle and then stab the flesh of your pork belly with a knife.
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4
Rub over the spice mix gently. Turn it so it's skin side up and dry the skin with kitchen towel. Lay it on a baking sheet or roasting tray, skin side up, and leave uncovered in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight.
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5
Bring the meat out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you roast it. Preheat the oven to 400u00b0 F (200u00b0 C).
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6
Put the pork in a roasting tray and cook for 15 minutes, until the skin is starting to crackle and bubble. Then turn the heat down to 320u00b0 F (160u00b0 C) and cook the pork for another 50 minutes. Finally, turn the heat up to 430u00b0 F (220u00b0 C) and give the pork one final blast to crisp up the skin for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before serving.
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7
While the meat is resting, assemble the panzanella. Quick-pickle the sliced shallots in a bowl with the cider vinegar while you remove the pits from the peaches and slice them up. Put them in a bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper and pour over the olive oil. Add in the capers, shallots and their vinegar, and the capers and toss together. Add the torn bread, arugula, and basil and toss one last time before serving.
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8
Cut the pork into slices and serve next to the salad.
