Roast Pork Rump with Crackling

• Serves 4

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

For the pork
100g Saxa sea salt flakes
900g pork rump or loin - fat and skin intact
60ml non-scented cooking oil

For the spring onion creamed potato
3 potatoes - Desiree or Royal Blue
100ml milk
100ml cream
80g cold butter - diced

For the sauce
150g pork trim - from the rump or shoulder, cut into small pieces
30ml non-scented cooking oil
50g unsalted butter
2 eschallots - peeled
6 button mushrooms
3 sprigs thyme
600ml white wine
500ml brown veal or pork stock
1 tbsp grain mustard

Method

For the roast pork
Trim the pork and score the skin with a sharp knife about 2/3 of the way through the skin. Then rub thoroughly with the salt and leave uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. Pre-heat your oven to 190°C.

Heat a pan over a medium heat, add the oil followed by the pork, skin side down, and gently caramelise the skin until it is golden and beginning to caramelise.

Place into your pre-heated oven and roast for approx 25-30 minutes.

Leave to rest in a warm place for about 10 minutes.

For the potato puree
Meanwhile peel the potatoes and cut into even sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water and season well. Bring to the boil, turn down to a light simmer.

Cook gently for 15-20 minutes until tender. Then drain in a colander. Leave the potatoes to steam dry for about 3-4 minutes.

Push the potatoes through the drum sieve while still hot, using a pastry card. Place the dry puree into a bowl.

Heat together the milk, cream and butter, gently fold this through the potato to soften, add a pinch of salt to season.

For the sauce
Heat a saucepan over a high heat and add the oil, butter and pork trim. Cook until the pork begins to brown.

Add the finely sliced shallots, mushrooms and thyme. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes then add the white wine and reduce until syrupy. Add the stock and gently bring to the simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the sauce begins to reduce and thicken.

Pass through a fine sieve.

To serve: Carve the pork and crackling into neat slices and lay on a generous mound of potato puree, spoon around the sauce and serve while hot. Serve with buttered cabbage.

Notes