Confit Pork Belly and Mussel Broth
Salty and sweet, spicy and sour, this soup is instantly nourishing and warming.
Total Time
3 hours 20 minutes +
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
3+ hours
Marination Time
4 hours
Feeds
4

Ingredients
For the confit pork belly:
Firstly, cure the pork belly. Mix the sugar and salt together, rub into the pork belly and leave it in the fridge for 4 hours.
Next, we need to confit the pork belly. Run the pork under cold water to wash off the sugar and salt, then pat dry with kitchen paper and put in a deep oven proof container. Pour over the oil and fully submerge the belly. Add one star anise and three crushed cloves of garlic, cover the dish tightly with tin foil and cook in the oven at 120°C fan/gas mark 1/2 for 4 hours. Once cooked, leave the pork to cool slightly in the confit oil before removing it. Put it on a tray lined with baking paper, place another sheet of baking paper on top and lightly weigh it down with something flat and heavy (a chopping board and a few tins normally works best). Leave to press in the fridge for a few hours to chill.
Once chilled, portion the pork belly into 4-5 pieces with a sharp knife. We remove the skin for this dish, but you can easily keep it on and crisp it up at the end.
Cook for roughly one minute on all sides until golden brown. Finish by squeezing a little lime juice into the hot pan, so that it caramelises, becoming sweet and sticky. Set aside until ready to serve with your broth.

For the mussel and broth:

Ingredients
Recipes we think you'll love: