Sunday
Rolled pork belly with gooseberry and almond chutney
An alternative to porchetta, with a South African twist: garlic-rubbed pork belly rolled and roasted until the crackling shatters, served with a sweet-sharp gooseberry and almond chutney and a simple baby spinach salad.
Serve the pork belly slices with a bit of chutney on the side, garnished with microherbs and fresh gooseberries, alongside a simple baby spinach salad with a splash of olive oil and lemon juice.
Method
- 01
For the pork belly, preheat the oven to 200°C. Lay the belly skin-side up on a clean surface, positioned so the shorter sides are on the left and right. Using a sharp knife, score the skin without puncturing the meat by making long, thin slits from left to right.
- 02
Turn the pork belly over and rub the 15 ml garlic onto the meat. Season and roll up, with the skin on the outside, from one short side to the other. Secure with a few pieces of kitchen string.
- 03
Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 180°C and roast for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn the heat back up to 200°C and roast for a further 30 minutes.
- 04
Remove from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 10–15 minutes before carving.
- 05
For the chutney, heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and gently sauté for 5 minutes. Add the ginger, 5 ml garlic and apples and fry for a further 2 minutes.
- 06
Stir in the gooseberries, orange juice, vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds and salt and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the chopped nuts and allow to cool.
- 07
Serve the pork belly slices with a bit of chutney on the side and garnish with microherbs and fresh gooseberries. To complete the meal, serve alongside a simple baby spinach salad with a splash of olive oil and lemon juice, if desired.
In the glass
Credo Chenin Blanc
Credo is the Stellenbosch wine house's signature label, and their Chenin Blanc is exactly what this plate wants: South Africa's flagship white grape, with ripe quince, yellow apple and a whisper of honeyed weight that mirrors the chutney's fruit, and a line of bright acidity that cuts straight through the richness of the pork belly. Serve it well chilled — the wine's freshness resets the palate between slices of crackling, and its gentle texture is a natural partner for the almonds in the chutney.
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