Crisp pork belly with deep-fried quail’s eggs and brown sauce
Tangy homemade brown sauce cuts through the rich fatty pork in this extravagent recipe.
Ingredients
For the pork belly and fried eggs
- 1kg/2lb 4oz piece pork belly, skin removed and reserved
- 250ml/9fl oz white wine
- 100ml/ 3½ fl oz cider vinegar
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 bulb garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 sticks of celery, roughly chopped
- 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
- 4 quail’s eggs
- vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 50g/½ oz plain flour
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 150g/5½oz panko breadcrumbs
For the brown sauce
- 400g/14oz tomatoes
- 100g/3½ oz cooking apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2cm/1in piece of ginger
- 100ml/3½ fl oz of red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 6 juniper berries
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tsp black treacle
- 50ml/2fl oz tamarind paste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the pork belly, place the pork in a large casserole pot with 500ml/18fl oz water, the white wine, cider vinegar, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, onion, carrot, celery and fennel and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1–2 hours.
Allow the pork to cool in the pot then remove and place in a baking tray. Cover with baking paper and weigh down with some tins such as baked beans. Place in the fridge overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7, place the pork belly skin on a wire rack and cook for 20–30 minutes, until crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
To make the brown sauce, heat all the ingredients in a saucepan with 500ml/18fl oz water over a medium heat and cook for 30–40 minutes. Allow to cool then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and pass through a sieve. Set aside.
Place the quail’s eggs in a pan of water and bring to the boil. Cook for 1 minute, then place in a bowl of cold water and allow to cool before peeling.
Remove the pork belly from the fridge and cut into 4cm/2in strips.
Fill a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread should turn brown in one minute when dropped in.) CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
Place the flour in a wide bowl, the beaten eggs in another bowl and the breadcrumbs in another.
Dip the pork belly strips into the flour, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs and deep-fry for 2–3 minutes, until golden-brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
Dip the peeled quail’s eggs into the flour, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs and deep-fry for 2–3 minutes, until golden-brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
To serve, place some brown sauce on each plate, then top with the crisp pork belly, a deep-fried quail’s egg and some crackling.