Crispy Spiced Pork Belly, Molasses Chickpeas and Sweet Potato Purée

Shivi Ramoutar’s Crispy Spiced Pork Belly is paired with smoky chipotle sweet potato purée and rich molasses chickpeas. Finished with fresh herbs and edible flowers, this dish is comfort food with Caribbean soul!

Ingredients

For the creole spice mix

1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
¼ tbsp black peppercorns
1 ½ tbsp sea salt
2 tsp oregano
½ tbsp cayenne pepper
½ tsbp paprika
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp turmeric

For the pork

1kg boneless pork belly, unscored
2 heaped tbsp creole seasoning
1 carrot, halved
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, smashed

For the smoked chilli sweet potato puree

2 large sweet potatoes
2 large knobs of butter
1 heaped tbsp chipotle paste, to taste

For the molasses chickpeas

Drizzle olive oil
1 heaped tbsp Creole seasoning
200g tomato passata
1 ½ tsp molasses

To garnish

Micro coriander
Amaranth
Any in season edible flowers

Method

Print Recipe

For the creole spice mix, toast the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and black peppercorns in a dry frying pan on a low heat, for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind into a coarse powder. Mix the remaining ingredients with a fork, or a small whisk, until well combined.
For the pork, rub a couple tablespoons of the creole seasoning over the pork belly.Pop the belly fat-side up into a foil-lined roasting tin on top of the carrot, onion and garlic. Cover with baking paper and more foil, folding the edges to seal the pork in. Pop a heavy dish on top of the covered pork, so it flattens the meat down then pop into an oven pre-heated to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3, for an hour and a half. Remove and leave to cool with the meat still weighted down, then pop into the fridge (still weighted down) for at least 6 hours. (You can do this step a day before).
For the smoked chilli sweet potato puree, preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6.Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Poke holes in the sweet potato with a fork and place them on the tray. Roast for 40-50 minutes, or until you can easily pierce them with a fork.
Leave until cool enough to handle, then scoop the cooked flesh out of the jackets.Press the potato through a potato ricer to make an extra creamy mash. Tip into a pan and heat over low heat on the hob, stir in the butter and the chipotle paste until creamy. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
To finish the pork, slice the belly into 4 -6 smaller squares, and pop into an oven pre-heated to 260C/240C Fan and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the skin is crisp.
For the molasses chickpea, add the creole seasoning to a small saucepan.Stir until fragrant, then add the passata, molasses and chickpeas and simmer on low until rich and thick. Check the seasoning, then set aside.
To serve, spread a little of the potato puree on a plate, top with a square of pork, drizzle around some of the molasses chickpeas and finish with the micro herbs and flowers.