Thyme, Garlic and Lemon zest Rolled Pork with Gruyere Dauphinoise, Glazed Carrot and Vintage Cider Sauce

I love belly pork and this is a nice little dish with creamy Dauphinouse and a beautiful sauce.

Ingredients

Pork Belly
3 Large Potatoes Pealed
Fresh Thyme
2 x Garlic Cloves
Lemon Zest
Nantes Carrots
Gruyere Cheese
Bottle Of Aspall Vintage 2012 Cider
Quality Chicken Stock
1/2 a leek
1/2 Onion
2 Sticks of Celery
1/2 Pint Double Cream

Take the pork belly and score the ski with a sharp knife about 1 cm aprt. Season the underside with salt, pepper, 1 crushed garlic clove and strip about 3 or 4 stalks of thyme. Roll the pork belly and tie with butchers string making loops from end to end about 3cm apart.

Roll in some clingfilm and pop in the fridge for a couple of ours to allow the flavours to develop.Take out the pork and place on a wire tray over a deep dish and pour over some boiling hot water. Pat totally dry then rub with a litle sunflower oil and liberally cover with quality sea salt. Pre heat your oven to about 200 degrees and bake for 40 minutes to allow the skin to blister and go crispy.

Take it out of the oven and turn the oven down to 150 dregrees. Under the wire rack throw in your chopped leek, onion, celery and 1 large carrot. Pour in 100ml of the cider and about the same of water. Put the pork back in and cook for about another hour. (please note this was a small piece of belly use a probe and check its cooked for larger pieces.

For the dauphinouse, peel your potatoes and finely slice with a mandolin. Or a sharp knife if you dont have one. In a large pan pour in your cream and about 1/4 pint of milk. Drop in a crushed garlic clove and season with salt and pepper, stir in a handful of gruyere and drop in your potatoes and simmer until the potatoes have softened a little. Pour out and layer in a tray and pop in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Take out your pork and set aside to rest. Pour the juices through a sieve in to a pan and discard the veg. Youll need to skim off the fat. Add another 100ml of cider and reduce the sauce slowly by about 1/2 so its still fine but not watery.

Pop in your carrots to boiling hot water. They will only take a few minutes. Transfer them in to a pan with foaming butter for about a minute to finish.

OK time to assemble. Cut the string off the meat and slice in to about 2 inch slices. Finish your sauce with a couple of knobs of cold butter. Place the pork on the dish. Place on your Dauphinous (note that i let mine cool totally so i could use a cutter tomake the round shape and re heated in the oven but you dont hav to) Pour your sauce in to a jug and carefully pour around the meat and veg.

Enjoy!!