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Roast Pork Belly Apple & Caramelised Walnut Salad in a white bowl on a wooden board
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5 from 3 votes

Roast Pork Belly, Apple and Caramelised Walnut Salad

Roast Pork Belly Apple and Caramelised Walnut Salad is the perfect balance of crackling crunch, melting meat, crisp apple, sweet walnuts and peppery dressing.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Resting Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 45 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: British
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 1327kcal

Ingredients

  • 800 g pork belly
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • zest ½ lemon
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 apple (something like braeburn, jazz or pink lady)
  • 2 little gem lettuces leaves removed and washed
  • 1 green pepper core and seeds removed and sliced thinly
  • 6 spring onions sliced on the diagonal
  • 2 celery sticks sliced thinly

Caramelised Walnuts

  • 60 g walnut pieces
  • 30 g caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salted butter

Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon honey
  • 30 ml extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Place the raw pork belly slices on a clean surface and make deep cuts into the fat on the top of the meat. Make sure not to penetrate the pink flesh.
  • Place the pork belly on a plate, on some clean kitchen towel. Place uncovered in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  • The next day, pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
  • Remove the pork belly slices from the fridge.
  • Mix together the rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic powder, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl then rub all over the pork belly.
  • Place the pork belly slices on a rack over a deep roasting tray and roast in the oven for an initial 15 minutes.
  • Turn the pork belly slices over and roast for another 15 minutes or until the crackling on the pork belly is golden and crisp. Some slices may be ready before others. If so just remove and leave to rest whilst the others finish cooking.
  • Once all the pork belly is ready, remove from the oven and leave to rest whilst you make the rest of the salad.
  • Place the walnuts on a small baking tray and place in the oven pre-heated to 180°C for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  • Place the sugar in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until the sugar has melted.
  • Add the butter and mix into the sugar with a silicone spatula. Stir to create a smooth caramel.
  • Drop the toasted walnuts into the caramel and stir to coat. Remove from the heat and tip the caramelised walnuts onto a tray lined with baking parchment to rest. Once cool, roughly chop.
  • To make the dressing, pour the mustard and vinegar in a small dish with plenty of salt and pepper and whisk together until the salt dissolves, then whisk in the honey. Drizzle the olive oil into the dish, whisking hard to emulsify the dressing, once it’s all mixed in, taste for seasoning.
  • Assemble the final salad by slicing the pork width ways, then toss together with the rest of the ingredients, drizzling with the dressing at the last minute.

Notes

Pork Belly
  • Buy your pork belly ready sliced from your local butcher.
  • Cut the pork belly skin with a good pair of kitchen scissors. Cut into the side not snipping from the top. Do not pierce the pink meat.
  • Try not to skip the resting of the pork belly in the oven which helps to dry out the skin for creating the best crackling.
  • Some pork belly slices may be ready sooner than others depending on the thickness of the cut.
  • Rest the roasted pork belly for 5-10 minutes but not too long otherwise it will dry out.
Caramelised Walnuts
  • Do not answer the phone or the doorbell if you are making caramel. It burns in the blink of an eye.
  • Use good heavy bottomed saucepan.
  • Use a silicone spatula for stirring otherwise the caramel is a pain to clean off utensils.
  • Place your baking parchment on a heat resistant surface (I use a baking tray) before you begin melting the sugar so it’s ready straightaway.
  • To clean your saucepan, leave to soak in hot water. It will melt the sugar off and leave it easy to clean.
Salad
  • Any of the salad vegetables can be swapped. Try:
  • Little Gem  >  Cos or Romaine
  • Green Pepper  >  Red Pepper
  • Celery  >  Fennel or Cucumber
  • Spring Onions can be omitted.

Nutrition

Calories: 1327kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 126g | Saturated Fat: 42g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 967mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1765IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg