Pork Belly, Scallop, Smoky Potato and Yuzu Flavour Pearls

Crisp and succulent Pork Belly, Scallop, Smoky Potato and Yuzu Flavour Pearls

Oh my, now we’re talking! Fancy surf and turf. Pork belly is just delicious but I find it can be a little rich for me…the addition of our fresh and vibrant Yuzu Flavour Pearls really cuts through that richness perfectly. This recipe looks the goods and tastes incredible. Everything can be prepared ahead of time and just sear the scallops at the last minute.

What you’ll need… (4 – 6 serves)

• 750 g ish piece of pork belly
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbs rosemary – chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tbs course salt
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Scallops – allow at least 1 per person (I tend to eat a couple while I’m cooking too!)
• Butter – 1 tbsp
• Potatoes – peeled (allow around 80 g per person)
• Cream
• Hickory wood chips (or liquid smoke if you prefer)
• Salt & Pepper
• Yuzu Flavour Pearls

To do…

I quite like to score the skin on the pork belly. Either criss-cross or just straight lines using a sharp knife. Whichever you prefer. Boil the kettle and holding the scored pork carefully over the sink pour the boiling water over the cuts to help open them up a bit. Dry the pork well and place on a plate. Combine the salt, garlic, herbs and cover the top of the pork. Place into the fridge uncovered for a few hours or overnight. This gives us a some additional flavour and will help our crispy skin to be even more delicious.

When it’s time to cook, brush the excess salt mix off the pork with a bit of paper towel. Rub the skin with some olive oil before roasting . Pop the pork into a roasting tray…you may want to sprinkle a little sea salt on too. Preheat oven to full blast.  You want to give the crackle a hot blast for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skin starts to bubble and turn golden brown.  Reduce the temperature to 150 c and bake for around 90 minutes. The pork can be pre-roasted earlier in the day and just be reheated before serving (the house can get a bit smoky so nice to do it earlier before guests arrive)

Next…

Whilst the pork is in the oven you can prepare the smoky potato mash. Simply peel and boil the potatoes as you normally would. Once the potatoes are tender you need to drain them. Set them aside for a moment whilst you get the smoky business started. Take a wok or heavy tray that can withstand going on the stove. Put the hickory chips into the base (line the base with a little tinfoil for ease of cleaning after) and place a cake rack over the top. The cooked potato pieces need to be placed on the cake rack. Cover the wok or tray tightly with tin foil and put your exhaust fan on high. Put it on the stove and cook at a high heat for 10 ish minutes. You can sneak a peek to see how smoky it’s getting if you are worried, it won’t do any harm.

Once the potatoes are as smoky as you dare simply add some hot cream, butter and salt & pepper and mash away. This can be prepared the day before and simply reheated with the addition of a little more cream (mash tends to firm right up overnight).

Ready to serve

Pop the pork back into a moderate oven to reheat and re-crisp. Rest pork for 10 minutes before slicing.

The smoky potato can be warmed in the microwave then put in a saucepan with a little extra cream to get the consistency right. 

Meanwhile, get a fry-pan nice and hot for the scallops. Season them well and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add them to the hot pan, I like to add in a knob of butter too for a little extra flavour. Get a nice hard sear on one side and turn them. They won’t need very long on the other side.

Simply add a portion of pork, a scallop or two and some of the smoky potato to each plate (we used a piping bag for our mash) a drizzle of some nice fruity olive or herb oil and a generous spoonful of Yuzu Flavour Pearls.

Until next time