RECIPES Jared Ingersoll STYLING Imogene Abady PHOTOGRAPHY Nicky Ryan

Pancetta, almond & witlof salad with caramelised baby onions & red wine vinegar
Serves 4

140g flat pancetta
Splash of olive oil
Knob of butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
A few sprigs of thyme
500g baby onions
200ml caramelised cabernet sauvignon vinegar
120g Lucky blanched almonds
8 heads witlof (both red and white)
Good pinch of parsley, chopped

1. Remove skin from pancetta and cut into thick lardons (slices with fat attached) about double the thickness of a match. Place into a cold saucepan with a dash of oil, then cook over a gentle heat to render out the fat. Once the pancetta has started to colour, turn up the heat, add butter, garlic and thyme and cook until golden.
2. Boil onions for 5 minutes, allow to cool, then peel. Place in a saucepan with vinegar and boil for a further 5-10 minutes until onions are soft and vinegar has thickened.
3. Toast almonds and crack into rustic chunks with the flat of a large knife.
4. Cut off base of witlof heads and separate the leaves. Place into a large mixing bowl, add onions, lardons, almonds and chopped parsley. Add a little of the oil from the lardons and a little vinegar from the onions to form the dressing.
Fold everything together and serve.

Pine mushroom pie with rocket & parmesan
Serves 4

1kg pine mushrooms,
cleaned and trimmed
Splash of olive oil
4 eschalots,
peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 sprig of rosemary
4 sheets Pampas puff pastry, cut into discs
Rocket, to serve
Parmesan, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut mushrooms into large pieces. Heat olive oil in an ovenproof saucepan, then add eschalots and garlic, and cook until just soft. Add tomatoes and rosemary, cook until they start to soften, then add mushrooms. Fold everything together and season well. Place on a tight-fitting, heat-proof lid and bake for 20 minutes or until mushrooms have just started to become tender.
2. Turn up oven to 200°C. To assemble pies, line 4 shallow pie dishes (or one large dish for a single pie) with greaseproof paper, divide mushroom mixture between dishes, then place the pastry discs on top.
3. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until pastry is a deep brown colour. Carefully turn out each pie by placing a plate on top and quickly flipping the pie dish over.
4. Serve with a handful of lightly dressed rocket and shaved parmesan.

Roasted pork belly with sprouts, chestnuts & thyme
Serves 6

1.4kg piece of pork belly, scored
1kg brussels sprouts, trimmed
80g butter
300g chestnuts, roasted and peeled
3 garlic cloves, sliced
A few sprigs of thyme
Cracked black pepper
Splash of red wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to as hot as you can get it. Select a roasting dish that can fit a wire rack and place it on the stovetop over a high heat. Half-fill with water and add a good handful of salt (you want it as salty as sea water). Bring to the boil and carefully lower pork into the water, skin-side down, and boil for 40 minutes, adding more water if needed.
2. Carefully lift pork from the water, place a wire rack over the roasting dish and then place pork on it, skin-side up. Keep some water in the bottom of the pan - this will keep the meat moist through the cooking.
3. Place dish in hot oven and cook for 1 hour or until you have a good brown crackling. If skin becomes a bit dark, reduce temperature to 180°C. The pork is cooked when you insert a knife into the meat and it is soft and juicy.
4. About 20 minutes before the pork is ready, boil sprouts for about 5 minutes in salted water. They should still be slightly firm.
5. Heat a large frying pan and add butter and chestnuts. Cook for 2 minutes until butter starts to brown, then add garlic and cook until garlic is golden. Add thyme. Lift sprouts from boiling water and throw into pan (don't be too fussy about draining - a little water helps the cooking). Fry for about 5 minutes, then season well with pepper and vinegar.
6. To serve, cut a piece of pork belly for each plate and spoon sprouts alongside.

Chestnut-stuffed baked apple with cardamom cream
Serves 4

50g butter, softened
50g flour
60g brown sugar
40g raisins
120g chestnuts, roasted and chopped
4 apples
140ml cream
½ tsp ground cardamom
Zest of ½ lemon
60g sugar

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Place butter, flour and brown sugar into a bowl and, using the tips of your fingers, work into a crumble. Add raisins and chestnuts and combine well.
2. Using a Parisian scoop (tool for scooping out seeds), cut into the bottom of each apple and remove the core, keeping the apple intact. Push stuffing into each apple and place them into a small roasting dish. Bake for 12 minutes or until just tender.
4. Combine cream, cardamom, lemon zest and sugar in a bowl, and whisk until airy and not too thick. Spoon over apples to serve.

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