TAKE a belly of top quality pork: not too fatty but nonetheless with a good depth of fat, such as from the Tamworth breed. Remove the bones, score the skin and cut into 4cm x 9cm chunks. Sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt and place in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.

Brush off and discard all the salt. Melt about 1kg of duck fat in a large saucepan, adding a small muslin bag filled with a few springs of sage, some cracked white pepper and 2 crushed cloves of garlic. Plunge the pork belly into the fat and simmer gently for 90 minutes or until tender. Leave to cool in the fat. This confit can be kept in its fat in the refrigerator for months.

To cook, place in a non-stick roasting pan, loosely cover with foil and roast in a hot oven (200 degrees C/400 degrees F/ gas 6) for 15 minutes, turning twice. The end result is crisp, yet melt-in-the-mouth pork.

This Article appeared in The Marshwood Vale Magazine October 2002, Their copyright acknowledged.