SERVES 6-8
boned and rolled pork shoulder, skin deeply scored 4-5kg (Fodder recommends pork supplied by Michael Ingilbey Farm)
olive oil
dry cider 300ml
cooking apples, 4, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
golden caster sugar 3 tbsp
cinnamon stick 1
crushed dried chillies ½ tsp
nutmeg
crusty bread rolls or baguettes to serve
wild rocket to serve
For the spice paste:
fennel seeds 2 tsp
coriander seeds 1 tsp
black peppercorns 1 tsp
crushed dried chillies 1 tsp
sea salt 3 tsp
garlic cloves 4, crushed
lemon 1, zested and juiced
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 210C/gas mark 8. Make spice paste by lightly crushing fennel seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns with a pestle and mortar. Add chilli, salt, garlic and lemon zest and mix to a paste. Using your fingers push the mixture into the slits in the pork skin. Put pork, skin-side up, on a rack in a roasting tin and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast for about 20-25 minutes until skin starts to crisp.
Turn oven down to 130C/gas mark 2. Turn pork over, pour over lemon juice and cook for an hour. Pour 150ml cider into the roasting tin and cook for a further hour.
To make the relish, put apples in a pan with sugar, remaining cider, cinnamon stick, chilli and a good grating of nutmeg. Cover and cook over low heat until reduced to a thick pulp. Add more sugar if needed. Remove pork from oven and tip pan juices into a saucepan. Turn oven up to 200C/gas mark 7. Cook pork for further 25-30 minutes until the skin has turned golden and very crisp. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Spoon off fat from pan juices and warm over a gentle heat. Thinly slice pork and serve in rolls or baguettes with a drizzle of warm pan juices, a handful of rocket and a good spoonful of apple relish. Don't forget the crackling!
