Filipino-Style Pork Belly & Pickled Cucumber

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ gas 6

Pat your pork belly dry with kitchen paper

Score the fatty side of the pork belly in a criss-cross pattern by drawing a sharp knife through the skin, deep enough to reach the meat below

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a very high heat

Once very hot, add the pork belly, fat side down and cook for 4 min or until coloured and crispy, then flip and cook for 2 min on the other side

Line a baking tray with tin foil

When the pork is done, place on the tray and put the tray in the oven for 40 min (reserve the pan and pork juices for later)

While the pork is in the oven, slice your cucumber as finely as you can

Add the sliced cucumber to a small bowl with your rice vinegar and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!)

Give it a good mix up and set aside to pickle – this is your quick-pickled cucumber

Add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 175ml [230ml] [350ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving

Combine your hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey and cornflour with 60ml [80ml] [100ml] cold water – this is your marinade mix

Return the reserved pan to a medium heat

Once hot, add the marinade mix with your bay leaf[ves] and cook for 6-7 min or until a thick and glossy sauce remains – this is your pork marinade

Once the pork has had 40 min, remove the tray from the oven and spoon over the pork marinade (scrunch the foil edges up to stop the marinade escaping)

Return to the oven for a further 5-7 min

Meanwhile, bash your roasted peanuts with a rolling pin until they are finely crushed

Tip: If you don't have a rolling pin, just chop them roughly!

Chop your coriander roughly, including the stalks