Sticky Soy Pork Belly With Sesame Garlic Veg

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

Season with a very generous pinch of salt and rub it deep into the criss-cross pattern

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 golden and crispy, then flip and cook for 2 min on the other side

Once done, transfer the pork to a tin foil-lined baking tray, reserving the pan

Put the tray in the oven for an initial 35 min

While the pork belly is cooking, top, tail, peel and slice your carrot[s] finely on the diagonal

Peel and finely slice your garlic

Wash your spinach, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Combine your cornflour and Chinese rice wine in a small bowl with your honey and gluten free soy sauce and give everything a good mix up – this is your soy honey sauce

Add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and a pinch of salt 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

Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil

Once hot, add the carrot slices and cook for 6-7 min or until softened

Once softened, add the sliced garlic and spinach and cook, covered, for a further 4-5 min or until the spinach is wilted

Once the spinach is wilted, drizzle over your toasted sesame oil – this is your sesame garlic veg

Once the pork has had an initial 35 min, remove the tray from the oven

Scrunch the foil edges up (this stops the sauce escaping!) and spoon over the soy honey sauce

Return the tray to the oven for 5-7 min or until the sauce has slightly thickened and pork is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Once done, remove the roasted pork belly from the oven, leave to rest for 5 min, then slice into 3 slices per person on a clean board – this is your sticky soy pork belly