Caramelised Pork Belly with Chilli Vinegar and Saffron Rice

Ingredients

8 garlic cloves, chopped
15 black peppercorns
Peanut oil, for frying
2.6L chicken stock
½ cup shaoxing wine
1 cup cooking caramel (karamel masakan)
1½ cups light soy sauce
½ cup oyster sauce
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground star anise
1kg pork belly
300g brown sugar
1/3 cup fish sauce
2 tbs lime juice
3 eschalots, sliced
5cm piece of ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
pinch saffron threads
2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
1 tbs black sesame seeds
2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
½ cup rice wine vinegar
Coriander leaves, to garnish
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Method officially tested

Step 1: In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and peppercorns to a paste.  Heat some peanut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and fry the paste until fragrant. Add 2L of the chicken stock, shaoxing wine, cooking caramel, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cinnamon stick and star anise.  Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the pork belly and cook for 1 hour. Remove the pork belly from the stock and set aside to cool before cutting it into bite-sized pieces, reserving braising liquid.


Step 2: Pour enough peanut oil into a saucepan to fill it by one third and heat to 180°C. Deep fry pork pieces until golden brown and then set aside.


Step 3: Preheat oven to 60°C.


Step 4: Add the brown sugar to a saucepan set over medium heat and cook until the sugar starts to caramelise.  Add 1 cup of the reserved braising liquid, fish sauce and lime juice. Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce by 1/3, then add the pork pieces. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Step 5: Meanwhile, pour enough peanut oil into a small saucepan to fill it by one third. Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the eschalots until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towel. Repeat process for the ginger and reserve the oil.

Step 6: Add ½ cup of the eschalot/ginger peanut oil to a heat-proof bowl or dish with the saffron threads and place in the oven for 20 minutes to infuse.

Step 7: Add 2 tablespoons of the saffron oil to a saucepan, then add the rice and stir to coat. Add the remaining chicken stock, cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked.  Fluff with a fork, spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.


Step 8: To serve, combine the sliced chilli with the vinegar in a bowl. Garnish the pork with the crispy eschalots, crispy ginger and coriander leaves. Serve with the saffron and sesame rice.


Serves 4-6