Slow Roast Pork with Celeriac Puree and Beetroot Slaw

This is actually left overs that I took into work for lunch- you jealous?

Ingredients

Pork

- Leg of Pork (get your butcher to score the skin- heaps easier. If he can't, grab a REALLY sharp knife and cut into the fat, not the flesh, at 1-2cm intervals)
- 2 Onions
- Aromatics of your choice (I use fennel seeds and star anise)
- Sea Salt
- Olive Oil
- Water

Slaw
- 1/2 Red Cabbage, shredded
- 1 small Beetroot
- 1 carrot
- White Balsamic
- Olive oil

Puree
- 1 Celeriac, peeled and chopped
- 1 Potato, chopped
- Chicken or vegetable Stock
- Butter

- Dill and Mint (to serve)

This is so easy- but takes a while. 

Start by drying off the leg of pork so it crisps up nice and crackly. I personally use paper towel but a friends mum swears by drying it off with the hairdryer!
Follow your drying ritual by massaging sea salt and olive oil into the skin- helps with the crackling and gives it an amazing flavour.
Slice the onions and place in the base of a roasting pan that just fits the leg of pork in it along with the aromatics and 3-5cm of water. Place dried and oiled pork directly onto the onions and bang it into a preheated oven at 275C for 30min then reduce to 170C for about 30min for every 500g or until internal temperature reaches 65C

While your pork is roasting prep your puree and slaw. Put the celeriac and spud into a small saucepan with the chicken stock, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Cook until tender.
Grate or Microplane your beetroot and carrot into a large bowl and toss with the shredded cabbage- you'll want glove for this unless you want pink hands for the next day or so. Dress with the balsamic and oil. This salad is so bright it hurts your eyes!
Once your root veges are tender and your stock reduced, add some butter and take to it with your stick blender til it's nice and creamy.

When your pork is nice and done, take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 20 min- probably the hardest thing about this recipe- the smell is irresistable!
If your crackling isn't crackly enough, remove it from the roast and place it under a very hot grill for a few minutes.

When you can't resist it anymore, carve up your roast (against the grain- it keeps more juices in that way) and stack it up, finishing with a generous amount of dill and mint. 

Smacks of spring freshness xox

Late Night Dinner- Roast Duck Agnolotti with Beetroot Pickle. Micro-salad of Red Shiso and Purple Queen Beans

Hey again. Last night I got home and all I really wanted to do was crash on the couch, but then I realised I have a blog to write and Duck Agnolotti (from toscano's) that really needs eating. So I cleared out the near empty fridge (I swear there is only mustard and pomegranate left in there) and came up with this surprisingly good dish. Inspired by a beetroot pickle a friend taught me how to make and using some incredible olive oil he bought on a great night out- even though the food was not. Seriously, the quality of the ingredients can really make a meal. Thanks MAAAAAATE.

Duck Agnolotti with Beetroot Pickle

Ingredients
Roast Duck and Wild Mushroom Agnolotti
1 Beetroot, peeled
Apple cider vinegar
Brown Sugar
1 Garlic clove, crushed
Bunch of Thyme
Sea Salt
Some nice olive oil
Lemon Juice
Red Shiso sprouts
Purple Queen Beans (or any broad bean type thing)



Finely dice your beetroot into 3-5mm cubes. It really needs to be this small to cook through properly. Plus it looks real pretty. Lightly sauté the crushed garlic in a frying pan  with a good slosh of olive oil. Add in the beetroot and cook for 3-5 mins. Strip the leaves off the thyme and add it to the mix- the more the better. Pour in enough apple cider vinegar to moisten the sauce. Whilst that's simmering away, throw the Agnolotti into salted boiling water. This should take about 6 mins, you'll know it's cooked when the pasta rises to the surface. (I know it's not home made but this is really good quality store bought stuff. I'll post up the brand as soon as I remember it.)
While the pasta is cooking, quickly saute the broad beans and coat in a little olive oil, sea salt and lemon juice. Place on plate along with the red shiso. I <3 microherbs.
Add the brown sugar to the beetroot pickle mixture and stir until dissolved.
Drain the agnolotti and toss in another slosh of olive oil. Place the pasta on the plate beside the microsalad and top with with a good helping of the pickle. Tastes like Autumn.
(I swear I'll leave some for you next time.)