My daughter’s been learning to ‘magpie’ her writing at school. It’s a cute way to summarise: if you read something that you like, a turn of phrase that’s cool, or a way of describing in an interesting way, borrow it – magpie it. Just like the bird, take something you like and stitch it into something else to make it your own. I really like the concept.
Just as it should be in cooking. This recipe is a version of Jamie Oliver rice, some pork marinade of my own and a vegetable salad I’ve lifted from chef Adam Gray.
I was a guest of Great British Chefs where he showed us a light yet satisfying meal of grilled tuna, charred asparagus and Asian slaw. The mix of red cabbage and carrot in a sharp / sweet dressing is irresistible.
Chef Gray’s recipe was excellent, and one I’ve made several times since.
I’ve remixed it – magpied it – here with delicious pork belly, with a savoury rice. I’ve not used pickled lemons before but I can’t get enough of them now – seek them out!
Adam Gray’s full recipe is here.
roast pork belly with asian slaw and pickled lemon rice
Ingredients
For the pork marinade
- 50 ml light soy sauce
- 50 ml xiaoshing rice wine
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 50 ml sweet chilli sauce
- 4 slices pork belly
For the slaw
- 1/4 red cabbage shredded
- 2 small carrots grated
- 2 spring onions sliced
- Handful coriander chopped
- 50 ml rapeseed oil
- 50 ml light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 lime zest and juice
- sesame seeds to serve
For the rice
- 150 g basmati rice
- 1 pickled lemon
- 2 cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210C. Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Lay the pork belly slices in a baking tray and cover in the marinade. Cook for 10 minutes, then cover with foil and leave to cook for another 50 minutes.
- For the rice, add double the amount of boiling water to rice to a pan with the lemon and spice, cover and simmer for 8 - 9 minutes, or until the water has disappeared. Turn off the heat and allow to sit in the pan for a further five minutes.
- For the slaw, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and taste for seasoning. Fluff up the rice with a fork and fish out the cloves - add salt to taste. Serve the rice in a bowl, topped with slaw and then pork belly, sprinkling over sesame seeds to finish.
