LAWRENCE MURPHY: Spice up your farm shop produce

The pathways through most of my favourite woodland walks have turned into complete gloop, due to the amount of rain we have had recently.

Having new wellies for Christmas certainly helps to keep the mud away from me but the terriers come back completely caked in the stuff.

They are not that impressed with the garden hose and if any of you have seen what a mess a shaking dog can do to the interior of your bathroom then you will understand why I've been walking them in dryer areas.

I have found a route around Stansted Estate that is pretty good under foot and still feels like a country walk. This route also give me the chance to pop into the farm shop to see what new produce Fred and Sam are getting in for me to try.

Last week I dropped in and picked up a lovely piece of pork belly, which I cooked with some spices and honey for this week's recipe.

 

Ingredients

500g pork belly

200ml chicken stock

1 onion, sliced

2 dstspns honey

1 tbspn dark soya sauce

1 dstspn light soya sauce

3 star anise

1tsp ground cinnamon

Small knob ginger, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 small celeriac, cut into batons

Bunch spring onions, sliced

 

Method

1. Put the onion, stock, honey, garlic and ginger into a casserole dish and add the soya sauces.

2. Stir in the cinnamon and star anise and place the pork belly in the pot.

3. Bring to a simmer, cover and put in a pre-heated oven (150C, gas 3) for three hours.

4. The pork should be soft and giving. Transfer it to an oven tray and put back in the oven to keep hot.

5. Put the casserole dish onto the heat and reduce by half.

6. Add the celeriac and cook for two minutes

7. Add the spring onions, stir and place the pork on top before serving with boiled rice.

 

Lawrence's restaurant is Fat Olives, Emsworth. Visit fatolives.co.uk or call 01243 377 914.