Wild Pork Belly Summer Salad

Summer is well and truly here along with some more interesting ingredients to play around with. Borlotti beans, wet purple garlic and wild fennel are all growing in an abundance this months and we should make an effort to incorporate these 3 amazing vegetable's into our diet while in season.
So I've devised a delightful pork belly salad that incorporates the creamy borlotti beans, milder and sweet wet purple garlic and the peppery aniseed flavours of wild fennel. Perfectly balanced with pork and very healthy!

1kg pork belly
1kg fresh borlotti bean pods
4 wet purple garlic bulbs
40g wild fennel
100g red baby chard washed
500ml apple juice
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

METHOD:
First cut a criss-cross pattern on the skin of pork then place in a deep roasting tray. Pour apple juice over pork, drizzle half the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover baking tray with foil and place in oven set at 140oC for 2 hours. Cut the head off the garlic exposing the tops of cloves, place in a separate baking tray and drizzle over 100ml of water and the remaining olive oil. Cover tray with foil and place in oven to cook with pork for 40 minutes. Once garlic has cooked leave to stand covered in tray.
Shell the borlotti beans, when the pork has cooked for 2 hours add borlotti beans to the roasting tray and cover once more. Roast pork and beans together for a further hour.
When the pork and beans have cooked remove foil and leave to stand for 20 minutes to cool. In the mean time squeeze the bottoms of garlic bulbs and the soft cloves will pop out, discard the outer skin.
To construct the salad you can either make individual servings or one large platter. Lay the red baby chard down first followed by the beans and several garlic cloves. Using a fork and clean hand shred the pork meat and dress over salad. Lastly garnish with wild fennel and drizzle over the roasting juices. Serve as soon as possible. 

Boisterous Salad

The summer tease is well and truly over and it seems winter is here for at least another week. Forget the diet and open a bottle of port or red and make my new boisterous salty, creamy and bitter salad! 

200g puy lentils
150g pancetta
150g gorgozola
2 white chicory
2 wet garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
Sea salt and cracked pepper

METHOD:
Wash puy lentils under cold running water, place in large pot and fill with water. Add bay leaves and a good pinch of salt, place over a high heat to simmer for 30 minutes till tender.
Cut the pancetta into 5mm strips and cut stalk tops off the wet garlic and place both ingredients on a baking tray. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over garlic and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, cover tray with foil and place in pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 30 minutes.
Cut chicory in half remove the core and pull leaves apart, wash chicory under cold water and gently pat dry. Once lentils are cooked drain and cool with cold running water and place in a mixing bowl, season lentils with a pinch of salt and a good crackling of pepper and drizzle over olive oil, mix together.
When the pancetta and garlic has finished cooking  remove foil and leave to cook for 10 minutes before handling.
Cut pancetta into 5mm cubes and peel off the outer skin of wet garlic and pick off the whole clove segments of garlic.
Now its time to construct the salad, roughly tear half the chicory leaves over a large platter and sprinkle a couple handfuls of lentils over chicory. Evenly distribute half the garlic and pancetta over lentils and lastly break small piece's of gorgonzola over top, repeat layer and serve with in 2 hours.